Obsessions: Director's Cut
by Sealeena
Summary: He had waited in the dark so long, his green eyes, obsession, lust...the line was crossed. Everyone was divided, and then she realized what must be done. Chapter 13 is up and the end is here! It's done! It's over! I love you all and thanks for the ride!
1. Raping Dreams

Disclaimer: Sigh No, I do not own Danny Phantom. Don't sue. Just, don't do anything, except read and review this lovely story.

* * *

_Part One: Dark Eyes

* * *

_

_Chapter One: Raping Dreams

* * *

_

"_You're mine Sam, you're mine." His voice was deep, insistent. Something was holding her, pushing her into the bed. She tried to move, but only met resistance, the force pushing on her harder now. "I'll take you as my own. He can't have you."_

_The darkness that she was presented with slowly disappeared. To her horror, she found she was in her room. Posters of vampires, Nightmare Before Christmas, Brandon Lee, fire breathing dragons, and more scrawled across the walls, a twisted collage of dark humor, inspirations, and those hidden meanings of her inner self that only she knew. Her desk was cluttered, a goblet here, a book on Wicca there, her laptop opened, something on the screen, yet she couldn't identify it from here. Above her hung the lush, velvety canopy of purple hue, shady in its appearance. The framework of her wrought iron bed seemed to be teaming with life, and if she looked out of the corner of her eye, she swore she could see demonic shapes forming._

_And then, icy cold hands gripped her wrists, and she saw Danny Phantom, in the splendor of his black and silver jumpsuit, blazing symbol, snow white hair, and strangely obsessed green eyes, before her. Only, she knew that it wasn't Danny, and even if it was, it must have been a side that he never showed, hidden deep within him. He gave a sexy sly grin, unfamiliar to her, but seeming so matching to his physique. _

_His lips fell to her ear, the cold chill of death contained within them as well, but moist. She jerked slightly at the sudden sensation, from both pleasure and revulsion, for the fact that why she had imagined this scene hundreds of time, this felt abnormally wrong. His slight chuckle and gentle bite on her lobe only helped to intensify the feelings._

"_I want you for myself," he whispered urgently, "all to myself." She tried to struggle, but then his grip became harder, almost crushing, and he slammed her wrists into the bed, as if to prove a point of her futile efforts. "Don't run away, Sam. You can't do that, because you know that I can give you pleasure." One hand ran down the length of her arm, leaving a trail of Goosebumps, sliding until it rested on her stomach. "You'll be mine yet, Sam."_

"_What are you?" She wanted to say more, scream for him to get off, but his lips caught hers, and the kiss was not what she could ever expect. He was dominating, hurting, hungry, and it scared the hell out of her. His tongue darted out, tracing along her lips, and then left her to draw a wet trail down her throat. "Stop it. Please. Stop!"  
_

"_Why?" He pushed his hips into hers, beginning a grinding motion, and it didn't feel pleasurable at all, not anymore. She had maybe gained a slight amount right away, but now she was scared. He wasn't letting her up, wasn't stopping like she had asked him to, was beginning to hurt her. She tried to kick, lash out, but he held her fast, and then his hands were gripping her face, so hard that it was painful. Tears leaked down the side of her face. "You wanted to be fucked by him, didn't you?" His hold became tighter. "Didn't you?"_

"_Let me go! Somebody! Help me!" She was screaming, screaming at the top of her lungs, but then he backhanded her across the face, and now she struggled, hysterically so. "Stop it! Help me!" She kicked all the harder, trying to push both of them off the bed. "Danny!"_

_And then his hands had suddenly wrapped around her throat. Her air was cut off, couldn't breathe, can't breathe, no breath, no air, world feeling hazy, rattling breath, and couldn't breathe, just couldn't breathe._

"_You can't say his name!" he roared. "He can't have you, he can't fucking have you! You're mine, mine forever, dammit! Mine!"_

_Her world went black.

* * *

_

Sam Manson woke up, bathed in a cold sweat, tangled in her sheets, and still greeted with the fleeting visions of her nightmare. She hugged herself, trying to ward off the chill that seemed to cling to her. She rocked then, muttering to herself it was all a dream, a nightmare more like, nothing more. It was nothing that could hurt her physically, only attack her state of mind, her mental self.

Slowly, after being able to calm herself down a little, pulled herself out of the binding sheets and rolled off the bed. She looked to her bedside clock and saw that it read 3:00 a.m. She let out a frustrated sigh and headed for her bathroom, navigating around her chair that had been left so carelessly in the middle of the room.

She opened the door, flicking on the light, and wincing at the harsh, sudden glare. It took her several moments for her eyes to adjust, even though the bulbs weren't that bright, something she had taken care to remember. Then, when everything came into focus, she was presented with her normal bathroom, nothing out of the ordinary, each thing in its place, as it should be.

She fell into place at the sink, turning the faucets, until steam rose from the water and it fell quickly, only to disappear down the drain. She flung her hands into the stream, and splashed the liquid onto her face, its warmth soothing her, not waking her, but helping to bring about the sense of peace which she had lost tonight. But, her hands were shaking terribly, and she was forced to grip the sides of the sink.

"Get a hold of yourself, girl," she told herself. "It's just a dream." Then, she looked into the mirror, and her eyes widened in horror. Her mouth opened to let out a scream, but nothing came out, only a choking sound. And then, after a few terrifying moments, she could speak. "No!" On her throat, there were marks, marks of someone's hands, as if someone had tried to strangle her, tried to kill her. They were very real, very purple, and very large. She fell back, fell back until she hit the wall. "No. It's just a dream. This isn't happening." She slid against the wall until she hit the floor. "Just a dream. It's just a dream."

Afraid to go asleep, afraid to turn off the lights, afraid to move, Sam stayed in the position she was until her alarm went off at 7:30 a.m.

* * *

On the cold autumn-like day of October, Sam walked to school alone. It wasn't that windy, but mist strayed along the ground and swirled around her ankles. For some reason, walking along this straight and narrow path, she wondered if she should take it. In fact, she had always been told to take the hardest path, because it was the best, and here she was, taking this simple paved walkway. Was there any significance in this, in her actions she was performing?

No.

She thought way too damn much. She usually did, a product of her overripe, underappreciated imagination. Of course, thinking too much was probably the reason for her straying thoughts to uninteresting subjects, movie plots, certain ghost boys, and the nightmares she had been having as of late. But then again, the latter was something she did not want to think of, even if she happened to.

She kicked a lone rock that was in front of her. It bounced and skipped its way along the pavement, only to stop a few feet ahead, a hole stopping it in place, rendering it motionless.

She frowned slightly.

Was this an omen, an omen of things to pass?

No way in hell. Again, she thought too much, but that was her curse and gift like always, and sometimes she wished she didn't think too much, wished that these thoughts she had been having lately would just go away, go away and never come back.

"Sam!" Her heart thudded rapidly against her chest, an adrenaline high coming to her. She felt as if she had been running several blocks, a blush coming to her face. But, she should have expected it. Danny always made her feel like this, like she was in some exhilarating sport, or skydiving, maybe jumping off a cliff into the water. Whatever he did, which was nothing most times, she felt like this, and she loved it. "How come you weren't at your house?" He had caught up with her and bent over, hands on knees so as to catch his breath. He looked up at her, grinning. "You're more of a creature of the night if I remember correctly."

The smile that had been forming on her face fell and she looked away, uncomfortable. How could she tell her best friend/crush/couldn't stop thinking about him of her nightmares? She just couldn't. She couldn't tell him about the marks on her throat last night, which had never gone away, thus making her wear the black turtleneck sweater so no one would see. She couldn't tell him last night's dream, while not as bad in some aspects, had turned for the worse, violently speaking. She couldn't tell him that most of her dreams ended up with Danny Phantom, a part of him she had been so enamored of, had humiliated her, raped her, scared her to death. And, in most dreams, he said some very disturbing things.

"_You wanted to be fucked by him, didn't you? Didn't you?" At that point, he began to tear at her top, push her skirt up to her waist, his lips on hers, that dominating, obsessed, hunger in them. And she tried not to look, but she knew he phased out of his jumpsuit, had her phased out of her clothes as well, not wanting to struggle with undressing her anymore, and he was panting hard. He whispered in her ear excitedly, "Well, he can't have you, cause I'm gonna fuck you first. Then he won't want you, and then I can have you all to myself, fuck you all I want." After saying that he would-_

She stopped, her knees buckling, trying to get rid of the haunting images, failing miserably. She clutched her head in both hands, eyes wide, near the verge of screaming, wanting to empty her stomach, even though there was nothing to bring back up. She trembled at the thoughts, the images, the feelings, those obsessed, green eyes chasing her in the waking world, allowing her no peace.

"Sam?" Danny placed a hand on her shoulder, worried. She didn't say anything, caught up in the nightmare that had followed her to this reality, this time, this world of daylight, where things should have been safe. "Sam?" He stepped in front of her, and she was staring at the ground, a look of terror on his face, and he was alarmed at this very, very uncommon emotion in his friend. He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her lightly. "Sam! Snap out of it!"

"Huh?" She came out of the strange trance that had captured her attention. She smiled slightly, but Danny's brow was furrowed, and she faltered a little. "Where's Tucker? He usually catches up to us by now."

He gave her a look saying that he wasn't falling for the: I'm-changing-the-subject-so-let's-not-talk-about-it-anymore routine. "Sam…what going on? Are you okay?"

She scoffed, as if his question was absurd. "Of course I'm fine," she answered. "It's…just some bad dreams."

"What dreams?"

She groaned inwardly. For once, in his C student life, could he act like a C student and not ask questions. She continued to walk, but he stepped in front of her again, and she was forced to move aside. And yet again, he stepped in front of her, forcing her to move to the side. Then, one last time he did, and grabbed her arms. She stopped and amethyst met blue, each searching one another for anything, answers of any kind. Blue found none, well something, but it was hidden so deep that it couldn't be understood, and amethyst found worry, love for a friend, and maybe also a little something that was found, but also too well hidden to be understood.

"It's just dreams," she said. "It's just some stupid dreams and they're really annoying. That's all it is. I swear."

"Sam, if they're stupid dreams, why don't you tell me about them?"

He wasn't going to let up about this until she told him something, anything. That was perfect, just perfect Danny. Why did he have to get to her like this? Why did he make her heart race, make her feel so beautiful, so special while doing nothing at all? Why did he have to be so damn stubborn, though?

She took a deep breath. She hated to do this, but it was easier to do so. "I've just been having dreams about being a princess." Okay, that was about the worst lie she could come up with. But, maybe he'd fall for it. After all, his mind could only think so far.

"So, you wear pretty little dresses and crowns, prancing around on unicorns? It's that kind of dream?" Finally! He was losing interest.

"Wow, Danny, you must have practice with that, huh?" She had to say it. She couldn't help it. She needed a laugh, even if it was completely pointless.

"The only reason I know so is because of that dress Tucker has in his room." The both laughed, allowing themselves to cut lose, something that was badly needed. And, it was something needed to get Danny to stop asking so many questions. She hated lying to him, but she couldn't think of anything else to say or do. It would have been a disaster to say that she dreamt of his ghost half breaking into her room and then proceed to rape and beat her. Yeah, that was a conversation that would pass lightly. "So…" She slowed down. Change in subject, which could only mean one thing: girls, either her or Paulina in some way, shape, or form. Hopefully, it wouldn't be in shape or form. "You know that dance happening next Saturday…are you going with anyone?"

She came to a halt and did a double take. Had Danny Fenton, one of her best friends in the entire world, ask her to the mother of all dances for a Sophmore, the Halloween Extravaganza? She didn't know what to say, because she wasn't sure what this was about. For the first time in their history of friendship, she didn't have an answer. But, she had to have an answer! She wasn't the C student here!

"Uhh…no, I'm not," she finally answered. A blush rose to her face, and she was cursing her inability to hide it. Luckily, though, she had the large sweater to bury herself in. "Are you…are you going with anyone?"

He blushed, the redness covering most of his face. "No, I'm not. So, um, I was wondering if maybe…" He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me. You know, just the two of us?"

How could she say no? Well, she would have said no in the first place, she never would. She could never deny Danny, her Danny. It was this fault in her that she both cursed and love, and right now, she really loved it.

"Sure. I mean, if you want to go with someone like me…" Her heart wouldn't stop pounding. She was sure that he would hear the quick thud of it against her chest. But, her face was probably showing more then enough of what she was feeling. "Um…why not…why not Paulina?"

"I…well…the thing is…" He was embarrassed, words barely coming to him. "I…I wanted to…I wanted to go with you."

"Oh," was all she could say. "That's a perfectly fine reason, too."

He smiled and as nonchalantly as possible, which was like an elephant at a dinner party, grabbed her hand. They blushed simultaneously, and Sam made a mental record of how many times she blushed to day, exceeding what she did in a year, showing that she would need to get a hold of herself around the likes of Danny Fenton.

They resumed walking to school and for that brief time, Sam forgot all her worries, all her worries about those dreams she had been having as of late. Unfortunately, her dreams wouldn't allow her to forget, the purple marks on her neck a sign of that.

They'd catch her soon enough.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Author's Notes: Hey there everybody! Can you believe that I wrote yet another story! I know, it's terrible. I have several building up, some I still need to publish, like my Zelda fic (at a halt), my Danny Phantom AU, my Rurouni Kenshin one (deleted, but going to get it), and hopefully get my original fiction at _Her Black Wings of Beauty_. Yeah, I'm going to be busy, but I promise this will be good, so if you review, I'll probably update faster. Also, I swear part three in the T rated one will be done before this one gets there. Ciao.

_-Sealeena_


	2. Astral Touch

Disclaimer: Sigh No, I do not own Danny Phantom. Don't sue. Just, don't do anything, except read and review this lovely story. You know you want to.

* * *

_Part One: Dark Eyes

* * *

_

_Chapter Two: Astral Touch

* * *

_

As soon as Danny and Sam approached school, he let go of her hand reluctantly. She knew the reason why: everybody. They would stare, whisper, and of course, jeer at them, something they had experienced since they started Casper Junior High. Both of them didn't want another reason for the hurt, and Sam understood. Of course she understood.

"Did you get any biology done last night?" he asked as they made it to her locker.

"You want to copy it again?" She gave a sigh. "Honestly, Danny, I hope you shape up before we're Juniors."

"Sam…you know I will."

She smiled. "Keep telling yourself that." She opened her locker, and a glance into her mirror left her stuttering in horror. She saw Danny Phantom, insanely obsessed green eyes, a maniacal grin on his face. There was a small circle of bluish light as his hand began to reach through the mirror, grabbing for the front of her shirt, almost as if trying to pull her into the dark world that he was trapped in, the world of her nightmares. There, he was power, the ultimate enemy that Danny would never have a chance against. She slammed her locker shut, a sleeve tearing in her desperation to rid herself of the evilness of Danny Phantom. "Get away!" She fell backwards, crashing into the floor and scooting back until she knocked another person over, coincidentally Tucker. She was shaking. Slowly, she regained her senses. "Uh…sorry Tuck. I thought I saw floral print." She pulled herself up. "You know how that gets me."

"Yeah. Now I do," Tucker muttered as he got up, rubbing his sore head. "Just…don't do it again."

"Sure thing!" Sam said a little too quickly and giddily.

Danny and Tucker did a double take. They exchanged uneasy looks, turning back to her. She smiled nervously and rubbed the arm that had been deprived of its sleeve.

"Sam." Danny placed a hand on her shoulder. Involuntarily, she flinched, and he frowned at the action. He put his hand on her shoulder again, but she didn't flinch this time, prepared for his touch and arousing some suspicions. "Are you okay? You haven't been…you lately."

"I'm…fine." She brushed his hand off her shoulder and opened her locker again. She wasn't met with a leering, psychotic face and inwardly sighed with relief, but still trembling. "I just haven't been able to get much sleep lately."

"Want to talk about it?" Tucker asked.

"There's nothing to talk about." Sam slammed her locker shut again, a note of finality with the conversation.

* * *

"I think it's nightmares," Tucker commented as he and Danny progressed through the lunch line. "Sam's not talking about it and she's clearly disturbed by it. Just wait. She's gonna blow, just like a bomb. I guarantee."

"I don't know," Danny said. "I…this is probably going to sound stupid but…"

"What?" Tucker asked.

"Don't tell Sam this." He looked around, as if to make sure no one was watching or listening. "I think it's more then dreams. I think she might have been raped…or is getting raped."

"Danny!" he shrieked. "What the fuck is your problem?"

Danny clamped a hand over his mouth. "Would you shut up for one minute?" He glared at the onlookers who quickly turned away. He turned back to Tucker. "I'm serious. I don't know if it's dreaming or real, though, but it's like she's acting like she's been…violated." Tucker had an expression that could be clearly read as "eewww". "Have you seen how she's been acting? She's not getting any sleep, she flinches if you try to touch her, and she had a complete and total freak out today in the hallway."

"She saw floral."

"She doesn't overact like you do to things as trivial as that!"

They became silent as they held up their trays. A thing…food…no, it was definitely a thing, was dropped onto their plates. It was supposed to be macaroni and cheese, but Danny and Tucker weren't sure if black spots were normal. They shuddered and grabbed some chips and pop, knowing that was all they'd be having for lunch today. But, Tucker was dumb enough to sniff the "macaroni and cheese" and his reward was turning several shades of green.

"I don't think this is food," Tucker said as he and Danny sat down. Sam had taken the smart way out and had opted for a salad. "Why isn't there any meat today?"

She was sitting at the edge of the seat, not in the middle. Danny sat next to her, Tucker next to him. She chewed slowly, staring off into space. Both boys turned their heads and then leaned forward, as to get a look at her facial expression. When they sat back, they looked at each other, suspicious of Sam's actions.

"Poke her," Tucker whispered.

"No!"

Tucker poked Sam. She flinched slightly, and then Tucker was presented with a fistful of macaroni and cheese as she absentmindedly scooped some off his tray. He feel back, gagging, desperately trying to relieve himself of the putrid mess. Danny looked down at the unfortunate boy and then back at Sam. Trying to push his fears away, he waved a hand in her face. She snapped back to reality.

"What?" she asked harshly, then recognizing the tone of her voice. She cast an apologetic look. "Sorry. It's been…it's been a pretty rough day."

"Sam," Danny said, "I'm in all your classes. It wasn't bad at all."

"Actually," Tucker butted in, "they were surprisingly easy. We haven't had any homework today. This should be marked as a holiday or something!"

"Shut it, Tucker," Danny commanded and shoved the unfortunate techno geek back onto the floor. He looked back to Sam, determined to get an answer from her. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

"You try that with me again and I swear I'll break your fucking legs."

He leaned back a little at this sudden change in ferocity, but then counterattacked, angry at her uncharacteristic response. "My legs? My fucking legs?" Her eyes widened at the implications of what she had just said, that it might have hurt his feelings. "Maybe you need to get a new attitude, a fucking new attitude instead of being so bitchy when your friends are concerned about you!"

She hung her head, eyes teary. "Danny…I'm sorry. I'm…I'm gonna go and get my act together." She stood up and his face softened. "I'll see you guys next period."

She went to walk away. "Sam!" She turned around. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

She shook her head, "Don't be," and walked away.

"Sam…" Danny whispered. She was gone and the fight had left a sour taste in his mouth.

"Is she gone?" Tucker asked. He took the opportunity to stand up. "Man, she is one crazy—"

He was cut off as the cold, blue vapor leaked from Danny's mouth. Seconds later, one of the large windows burst into thousands of pieces. Several students, who were unlucky enough to be close to it, were thrown into the air, shards of glass piercing their skin, and the screamed in agony before finally hitting the floor below them.

"Fuck. Cover for me," Danny said. Tucker did. "I'm going ghost!"

* * *

She was bent over the toilet, retching violently. She didn't know why, but she had felt so queasy all of a sudden, so much that she had barely been able to make it to the bathroom stall. Her vision had swum before her eyes and she felt alarmingly faint. However, strangely enough, her nausea passed quickly and her vision returned to normalcy, almost as if the sickness had never been.

She sighed and flushed the toilet, looking away from the mess of what her stomach was, trying to fight down another wave of nausea as it came at her again, but then subsided. Her back against the stall door, she slid to the floor, the cold tile making her involuntarily jump. Then, prepared, she sat back down and withstood the chill the floor produced. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then heard a voice.

"Ssssaaaaaammm." At first, she thought it was Danny, but then she knew she was wrong. Danny didn't have that huskiness, that obsession, that sadistic glee in his voice. He didn't sound so…dark. She knew what it was, but maybe it had been a part of her imagination. Maybe the nightmares were just harassing her, just like those bruises around her neck, just like that soreness she felt in her abdomen some mornings, just like that feeling she was so dirty, that she had actually been violated, as if the scent of him was all over her. "Ssssaaaaaammm." The second time she heard it, she knew she wasn't imagining.

Her hand fumbled with the lock and when it came undone, she tumbled out of the bathroom stall and the rest of her body hit the floor. Her head came up and she looked around, but no one was there, not even a ghostly image of her nightmares.

* * *

He had never seen a ghost like this before. It was a hulking creature, even when slouched, stood as big as ten feet. A large tail swished from side to side, smashing anything it came into contact with into rubble. It had scaly skin, dripping with ectoplasm excretion. It had a lizard like head, with two dilated pupils that were red slits, glowing the green ghostly energy.

"Nashkimfla gwaar kineupf!" it howled before sending out an abnormally clawed hand towards a table. "Kineupf!"

Danny Phantom flew for the creature and sent out an ectoplasm beam, which bounced harmlessly across the lizard's scales. However, it did notice the shot and its hand stopped halfway before hitting the table. It turned to him, and then screamed, something that sounded the cross between a T-Rex and a pig. Everyone was forced to cover their ears.

"Make it stop!" Tucker scratched at his ears, until the scratches started to produce blood, the red liquid running down the side of his face. And still, he scratched mindlessly, and it turned out everyone was beginning to do the same actions, blood falling everywhere, ruby droplets glittering in the lunch room.

Danny Phantom fell to the floor, helpless, and looked up to see that the creature's screams were starting to crack the large glass windows. He felt desperation and helplessness well up inside him as he was forced to a withering state, unable to do anything at all. And then…he felt a strange sensation in his body. He felt sleepy and then part of him flew out of his body, a strange, spiritual sensation, and the sound of the creatures roar was no longer affecting him.

He looked behind him and saw himself asleep on the ground, Tucker holding him, apparently confused. There was no time to think. He turned intangible and entered the creature, knowing there was only one way to stop it.

* * *

Was she going insane, truly insane? The only reason she never tried to react when she saw a boy, mainly Danny, or something that reminded her of her dreams, was the fact that she didn't have any hard evidence, except for the bruises on her neck. Even then, she couldn't be truly sure who they belonged to. For all she knew, she could have done it herself, but then again…

She walked over to the mirror and peeled the turtleneck down, so as to see the bruises more clearly. They were larger then her own fingers, and obviously male. She fought a primal urge to smash the mirror into a million little pieces, just smash it so it would quit glaring at her, and smash it so she could feel superior, so she could feel pain as the glass would bite into her fist, the jagged edges tearing into her skin, producing the warm, red life-giving liquid.

She let out a shaky breath and braced herself against the sink. How could she have thought of such a horrible thing? She wasn't like that. She wasn't a self-destructive person, was she? She shook her head. Of course she wasn't.

"Pain makes you feel like you're alive," he whispered into her ear. "I haven't felt alive in so long. Give me some pain, Sam. Hit me, let me fuck you, let's do something to feel alive."

A sob escaped her as his moist lips touched her ear. She shuddered as his hand slipped under her shirt, fingers lightly dancing along her belly, Goosebumps rising on her flesh. He made her moan when his warm, hard body pressed up against the back of hers, involuntarily making her arch. He turned her around and she was staring into his beautiful, crazily obsessed green eyes.

"It's been awhile since I've fucked you," he said. He shoved her onto the sink. She hadn't paid attention, but he wasn't in that tacky jumpsuit. Oh no, he was wearing black leather pants and a tight, black shirt with green dragons scrawling across it. It was so hot, so sexy, and at the same time scaring the hell out of her. His lips found her throat. "Just like lilacs," he moaned. His tongue dragged across her skin and she was stuck between pleasure and disgust. It was such a strange feeling that she couldn't think very well, or move for that matter. He gently bit her bottom lip, his breath ragged. "Oh God I want you to scream."

The breath she had been holding did just that, ripping from her throat, hoarse and loud. He giggled excitedly.

His hands slid up along the inside of her thighs and she squirmed, but for all her will, she couldn't stop him. For all her disgust, she couldn't stop his hands roaming around on her body…and he knew it.

"The object of my affection is the object of my obsession."

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Author's Notes: I've been so busy lately that I just haven't had any TIME. I've finally learned that time is a valuable thing indeed, so I'm sorry if it's going to be slow, but keep those reviews coming anyways! They're what keep me going at two in the morning. Thanks so much!

JayJade: I've got you on the edge of your seat? That's terrific, cause I'm going all out with this one!

Kats02980416: Sam tried not to act scared because she didn't want Tucker and Dann meddling in this. She feels it's a personal problem neither can handle. From experience, I think it's safe to say that Tucker and Danny screw things up quite a bit. Thanks for the review, you're totally committed!

Releena Airi: Lol, sorry I haven't had time to talk to you, and you're envious? That means I'm doing good. Thanks!

DT11X-x: You had to log in? I didn't know that. I do want everyone to review, so I'll see what the problem is.

Thanks again!

-_Sealeena_


	3. Dirty Thoughts

Disclaimer: Sigh No, I do not own Danny Phantom. Don't sue. Just, don't do anything, except read and review this lovely story, because it's my baby, and my baby needs reviews to grow.

* * *

_Part One: Dark Eyes

* * *

_

_Chapter Three: Dirty Thoughts

* * *

_

"The object of my affection is the object of my obsession," he repeated.

He pulled her close to him, and her legs automatically wrapped around his waist. He had torn some of her clothes off already, namely her undergarments, which were strewn across the floor. She knew that at any moment, someone could walk in on them. She knew this was wrong, was sick, perverse, and while it scared her half to death, she was learning to accept this, and now, it was arousing, making her warm, making her sweat.

There wasn't any way she could stop him, so why should she? She knew it was easier just to go along with it all. She figured that it was probably easier to give up and join in, feel the pleasure, feel like she was alive, instead of fighting it and being scared so badly and have her mind crumble, although she was pretty sure that her mind had been broken just a few minutes ago, a voice repeating again and again in her head: Fuck me, fuck me, just please, fuck me!

He ripped open her shirt, his mouth all over, tongue tracing what felt like devilish designs, the cold air making her press further into him, so as to feel his warmth, because she hated the cold air on her skin and the only way to get rid of it was with him. And then, she could feel a strange, different sort of warmth in her as his fingers pressed up into her. Tears streamed down her face, so many, hot and wet. She let out another sob, a different voice in her head saying: Whore! You're a weak whore! How can you let this happen?

"The object of my affection is the object of my obsession," he panted, urgent. He filled her, so hot, so goddamn hot, the friction of him giving her feelings she had never experienced before. Was this sex or rape? It must have been sex, but why did it feel so humiliating? It didn't matter anymore, because she forgot where she was, only knew that she was with this man who looked so much like her Danny Phantom, only wasn't really him. "You're my object Sam, my obsession. I think of you every waking moment, and even when you're dreaming." He began a rocking motion and her nails dug into his chest as she rode it with him, feeling both the pain and the pleasure, mostly pain, so acutely. She didn't, for some horrible reason, want it to stop, the ecstasy increasing. "Wake and remember the object of my affection is the object of my obsession."

She slowly opened her eyes.

* * *

He flew into the creature, just as if he were intangible, as if he were still in himself and could pass through objects like so many times before. It still felt different though, lighter, less noise, less thought, less distractions. He had one goal he was going to achieve, and he had never been as focused as this before.

There.

Power, more power then he could have imagined, filled him, then surrounded him, and then burst from him in one, all dominant blast. The reptilian creature was torn apart from the inside out, blood, guts, ooze, flesh, flying everywhere, hitting everything and everyone. The screaming had stopped but most were too afraid to uncover their ears, although the mindless clawing had ceased.

And then, yet again, he felt tired, and a strange sensation as the spiritual form of himself sped back for his body, sense of sound and time returning to him, power leaving him. The noises, the thought, the distractions, all came back to him, making him feel mortal, the weight of humanity upon his soul. He opened his eyes with a gasp as he entered his body of flesh and Tucker dropped him, surprised.

Everyone, who had been too occupied with the creature's wails, had never seen Danny Phantom enter the young Daniel Fenton, and were thus oblivious. He was thankful for the fact that this strange fight would need no explanation from him or Tucker. In fact, just to be safe, the two stumbled out of the cafeteria before everyone could recover from the attack.

"What was that…that thing?" Tucker asked when they were out of sight of the shattered glass and people. He set his eyes on Danny and another look of surprise crossed his face. "What did you do?"

Danny shook his head, tired. "I don't know, I just don't know."

They passed the girls bathroom and heard a shrill cry of what sounded in between pain and pleasure. However, there was a terror in that cry, and oddly enough, it sounded like Sam's and that was enough to make him want to investigate.

"Fuck it all," Danny murmured as he felt the change sweep over him once more. He looked to Tucker. "Stay here." He became intangible, took a deep breath, and flew into the bathroom. "This is just not my day."

* * *

Explosively, air burst from her lungs, as if she had been holding her breath, and fresh air poured out and through her, life itself it seemed. She stared at the toilet before her and frowned at this realization.

Wait a minute.

What happened to the sink she had been sitting on a moment before? Was it all a dream? Was she going crazy like she thought she was? Was she completely out of her mind, unable to handle these nightmares of hers? And yet…she stared down at her clothes and saw that they were torn as they had been in her "dream", and at that comprehension, tears streamed down her face and she was faced with an urge to do something horribly destructive, just to feel like she was alive at the moment.

Her nails started to drag across her milky white skin, leaving vivid red marks that stung, but did not bleed like she was hoping. She went to repeat the same action, so as to see herself pour out of it, determination in the first stroke and-

"Sam? Sam!" Danny Phantom burst through the bathroom stall above her head and she backed up against the stall door, terrified that he might have been the nightmarish half, come back to take her body and soul yet again. She let out a gasp halfway between surprise and horror. He looked down at the sound and when she saw how his eyes didn't hold a crazed obsession, she relaxed, some tension easing out of her. His brow furrowed as he stared at her, and he floated down, worried, so worried about her. His concern was for her and for her only. She was the only thing he was caring about. "What the hell happened here?"

He was obviously referring to her state of dress, and she had a feeling that the expression on her own face wasn't looking the greatest. She began to shake furiously all over, and more tears escaped from her.

She cried.

He pulled her into a comforting hug, surprising for the cramped space that they were in. She cried all the more into him and he never once said a word, only understood that his best friend had just experienced something horrible and didn't need words at the moment, but the warmth and strength of a friendly embrace.

He became content as he held her and as her crying began to lessen. Slowly, the crying stopped altogether, and they stayed silent. He finally was aware of her wonderful scent, at first nothing, and then becoming more powerful. It was a little more feminine then expected, lilies and cherry blossom her perfume, a tangy lemony shampoo in her hair, the sweat coming from her different all it's own that was her essence itself, like the wind, a freshness; and then, he began to smell something else, musky, but oddly familiar. He was confused, though, because this strange new smell reminded him of himself, which was a lightness of his cologne with shampoo and deodorant and his own unique scent that was much like Sam's, much like the wind; yet underlying in the scent so much his own seemed a different personality, one that was harmful and was scaring the hell out of him.

"Who was it?" he asked. She stiffened, but never said a word. He gripped her, frustrated. "Sam…I can smell somebody else on you. Your fucking clothes are in pieces and you look like shit." He winced as he felt her hands clench at the last remark. "I'm sorry but…Sam…what the hell has been happening?" He pulled himself from her and looked her in the eyes. "What is he doing to you?"

"The object of my affection is the object of my obsession." Her expression was blank. She looked as if she had been to hell and back, which was quite possible and he found himself stunned. "I can't run anymore. He'll find me."

"Who'll find you?"

"Him."

He shook her shoulders. "Dammit Sam! Who the fuck is it?"

Her amethyst eyes bore into his emerald orbs. Twilight met the dewy grass, tearful met angered, and a strange calmness met a rising violence from within. In her gaze, deep in his heart, he knew, but his mind could not register the answer. He had to hear it from her swollen lips, the purple lipstick smeared off by God knows what, and feel that shock within him, to know what had caused her pain, what was causing her to lose her sanity.

Her lips moved and he shook his head slightly. He didn't want to hear it, but he had to.

"You."

His senses came to a crashing halt.

* * *

"Hey Valerie, how are you?" Tucker smiled into his locker mirror and then frowned. He shook his head. "That's not right." He plastered a smile on his face, cheesier then the last. "Valerie, have I told you you're beautiful?" He shook his head again, grabbing at his hat. "This would be so much easier if I didn't like her."

The bell for seventh period rang. He looked around the hallway, seeing that most students were well on their way to their classes. However, he didn't see Danny and Sam, instantly becoming worried. If they were still in the bathroom, which he was ninety-eight point eight percent sure, it was at three hours now. However, he didn't have time to worry about them anymore. Valerie had come around the corner and her body slammed into his.

Books, an MP3, and other various items went flying. She landed on top of him, receiving no harm from impact, while his body received the brunt of it all, clearly feeling the jolt of his spine on tile. He winced in pain, but held her fast, so as to keep from flipping off of him and having her own head hit the floor. He groaned at his clumsiness from allowing the fall in the first place.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, a sincerity in her voice that made him smile. "Tucker, are you okay?"

Through the weeks, Valerie had gotten much nicer, and thankfully, had stopped going after Danny. He was especially thankful for the last part, because he was sure that any moment Valerie had walked into the same room as Danny, and Sam happened to be around, the sparks of jealousy and anger had flown between the two girls. However, after the nice little incident with Dan Phantom, Danny had started to shy away from Valerie. He still couldn't get over how Valerie's older self had despised him so, despised him so much as to kill him, and that had left Valerie to throw away feelings that were probably hormonally driven, and leave well enough alone.

"I'm fine," he replied, wishing that he had a better haircut so he didn't have to wear his ridiculous red hat. "The question is, are you okay?" Oh, that had been such a smooth line! Foley had just scored another point. There was no way a woman could deny the phrase that had been paired with just enough emotion. If a woman could deny it, they were obviously one of the three: a becoming transvestite, a lesbian, or a bisexual. He wasn't sure if the last one counted, though. Bisexuals still liked men, right? Oh, if only he were a smart freak and not a dull one!

A smile graced her rounded features, so beautifully simple, yet so exquisite. He couldn't help but smile back at her, which only caused her to smile all the wider, her face still gorgeous.

A blush rose to her face as she stumbled off of him. "Well, I guess I better go."

"Valerie! Wait!" She turned back. "I…I was wondering. There's that dance next Saturday. And I was hoping that you'd come to it with me."

He didn't hear anything and could almost hear the impending doom of rejection coming to him, like a large, falling rock. "I'd love to." No! The rock was hitting him, crushing him and he felt like—wait. She said yes? She said yes! "What time are you coming over?"

Foley was so going to score big before Danny ever did!

* * *

"Wh-what?" He couldn't believe it. He heard her, read it from her lips, but he still couldn't believe it. "I didn't do this. I couldn't have. Sam…I'd never hurt you. You gotta believe me."

"Of course it's not you," she answered. She had instantly regretted her answer and felt that she needed to take it all back now. Neither Danny nor Tucker should worry about her right now. She didn't want to see that look on him, so worried for her. Instead, she looked at him, the hint of a small, sad smile on her face. She slowly got up, careful enough to make sure that what remained of her clothes covered her. A blush rose to her face and when she looked down, Danny's gaze was averted, the crimson stain tinting his cheeks as well. "It must have been another ghost disguised as you."

"Right."

She turned around, something extremely hard to do in the cramped stall, but she did, and then of course realized her error. Danny could see right up her skirt from this angle. She turned around again, but bumped against the door, causing her to fall into him and thus making him fall into the toilet. In actuality, he would have fallen into the toilet if he hadn't had instincts take over and had them both turn intangible, which became a disaster in itself, because they fell out of the bathroom and into the boiler room below. Luckily, he remembered to make them tangible again, before they fell through the cement and into the earth itself.

He landed heavily on the hard surface, but held Sam close to him, doing anything to keep from hurting her. Soon enough, the sting he had felt earlier subsided, and he was left with such a warm feeling, courtesy of a certain fifteen year old girl. His breath caught in his throat. He was acutely aware of everything. He could feel the curves of her pressed to him, molding perfectly. Her skin felt so soft and lovely, her paleness a striking contrast to his suit. Her tiny heartbeat was pressed up against his own chest. Hips were to hips, thighs to thighs. Her head was buried into the small of his neck.

"Amazing," he whispered into her ear, hot breath just a trickle. Her body tensed at the word and she leapt off of him, holding herself, and he realized his mistake. He blushed yet again and looked away. When he looked back he saw that she was glaring at him, hands still crossed, but he knew that they would be placed on her hips if not for her state of dress. He smiled just a little, happy to have his old Sam back. "It's amazing that I didn't crack my head open, huh?"

She went right along. "I'll say. But, you know Danny," she drawled, "your head's so damn hard that it would take more then several feet of concrete to break it."

His smile faded away, a look of sarcasm. "Not as hard as yours," he shot back. "I could have let you fall, but you weigh so much that you would have probably made a lasting crater."

"Real funny, Inviso Bill. It's nice to know that the minds of sixteen year old boys haven't been taken over by their microscopic, shriveled up dicks!"

"It ain't shriveled! And I can assure you it's anything but small."

"Microscopic."

"Whatever!" He threw his hands up with a sigh, but secretly, he was overjoyed.

Whatever had happened in the bathroom, the feeling of it, was all gone. He didn't have any of the tension, the grief, the confusion in him. He looked at Sam, who was smiling triumphantly at him, and then laughed. Her good smile crept across her face and she laughed as well, both losing themselves in the laughter.

Of course, Sam had to laugh. She had to do something, because if she hadn't done anything at all, she would have been forced to scream, scream until her heart would burst and she would feel no more pain.

Those crazily obsessed green eyes wouldn't leave her be, and she couldn't think of a single thing to do about it.

So, she laughed.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Author's Notes: I love the reviews! So fantastic! I will need to take time to reply to everyone's, but right now, I have to go to bed, because I'll only have a few hours of sleep before my overkill Christmas shopping! I'd just like to take this moment to say: THANK YOU EVERYONE! I LOVE YOU ALL AND PLEASE KEEP THOSE REVIEWS COMING! I'm going to try and get updated during vacation time. That's all for now. Please keep reading, because I'm still going to be taking you guys on one hell of a ride here. 


	4. Desired Actions

Disclaimer: Sigh No, I do not own Danny Phantom. Don't sue. Just, don't do anything, except read and review this lovely story, because it's my baby, and my baby needs reviews to grow.

* * *

_Part One: Dark Eyes

* * *

_

_Chapter Four: Desired Actions

* * *

_

He flew her out of the boiler room, out of the school, out into the sky. He cradled her close and she slept soundly, as earlier she had been stumbling around as she tried to find the doorway after laughing so hard, and then falling into slumber when he swept her off her feet and flew off. She felt so delicate at the moment, this precious piece of life he cherished. She put complete trust in him, even after what had happened in the bathroom.

"_You."_

Oh God no. Why did that have to enter his head right now, right when he was so high up in the air? Why did he have to think of that answer she gave him when he asked? Had she been truthful? Did she think that this…rapist…was him? Did the imposter act that much like him, sound that much like him, smell that much like him, feel that much like him? Or…was it really him, and he just didn't realize it yet?

She stirred in his arms, moving closer to him, to the warmth of him. He hugged her all the tighter and slowed, the city below them a canvas just for them. Since it was fall, nighttime came earlier, and that meant that street lights, shop lights, and porch lights came on earlier too. Right now, it was as if buildings were twinkling at them, a dizzying seduction of light. It seemed to whisper to him, "We'll show you ours if you show us yours."

He had had dreams like this, dreams where he and Sam were up in the sky like this. The skyline would wink at them and she would flash him a dazzling smile, clothed in nothing but a silky sheet that floated around her. In this dream he was himself, not his amazing ghost self that ladies swooned over, but both of them were light as air, above society, above the norms, above rules that shackled them to their mind set.

He would lazily make his way to her and she would watch him with those gorgeous amethyst eyes of hers, so much like twilight. And then, she would slink herself around him, he'd find her in his lap.

She'd whisper into his ear, "_Look at it all, our private show with the buildings so tall. I want to sit with you here in the sky, watch the stars and the cars go by._"

"_Anything for you_," he'd murmur before deeply kissing her.

As far as dreams went, this one had first place. He just wished that he'd stop waking up when it started to get really hot and steamy. Who knew that his mind had nasty fantasies like that? They may have been in his mind, but they were starting to give him great tips. He was just hoping that he could try it out on a certain someone in the waking world, because he wasn't sure how he could handle the self-abuse much longer.

"Danny…" She whimpered, as if she were having a nightmare. They were nearing his home now. While he would have taken her back to her own bed, he wanted to keep an eye on her and he felt much safer in his own room than in a home inhabited with a butler, a strange grandma, and parents that hated most every inch of him. "…help."

His throat tightened and he felt a few hot tears prick at the corner of his eyes. He buried his head into the top of her silky black hair, clutching her more fiercely. He wanted more than anything to take away her pain, her horror, her sadness. He wanted to be there with her. But…how could he? She was on her own for now and there wasn't a single thing he could do about it.

"I'm here Sam, I'm here." He kissed her cheek lightly. "I'll be here when you wake up. I promise."

* * *

"_He won't come. He can't come," her tormentor said. "After all, it is your mind."_

_She wasn't in her room. She was in Danny's. A wrought iron bed, adorned with three or four pillows, and a large, comforter. There was a computer desk, a flat panel monitor with a new hard drive, courtesy her Christmas present to him. There was a TV to the other side of her, a low rise couch that they would sit on when playing DDR (Dance Dance Revolution and, well, they used dance pads for that one) or when bored, a couple rounds of Halo Two. A Perfect Circle, System of a Down, Killswitch Engage, CKY, all of them posters crowded around his walk in closet. His stereo system was scattered here and there, Danny probably still dinking around with it, hoping to modify the bass. His computer was on, and there was something written on it, but she couldn't make it out, a familiarity that she might have to check out when she woke up, if she woke up._

_She lay on the bed, tangled up in a sheet of silk. It glided effortlessly along her skin as she shifted her legs. To her surprise, and maybe not, she was nude beneath the silk. A faint trace of disgust ran through her at that thought. She felt like a whore this way. She felt used, a betrayer, and most importantly, lowly. She should have been able to stop this…this…thing, but she couldn't._

"_How does my little kitty feel?" he asked as he crawled onto the bed towards her. His weight caused her to slide slightly towards him, but she backed away a little, not looking at him the least. She didn't want to see him, not now anyways. "Now, now, kitty," he scolded. "Let's be cooperative."_

"_Why won't you let me sleep, just this one time? Why can't I have peace? You could just watch me. Why can't that be enough? You won't have me this way." It all tumbled out so fast that she couldn't stop it, but when she said her piece, she looked at him, straight at those beautiful, crazily obsessed, green eyes. Immense willpower was the only thing that had kept her from crumbling. She may have been scared, but she didn't cringe away. She wouldn't back down, couldn't back down or it'd be the end of her. "You can't have my soul."_

_He looked surprised, surprised that she would say and act the way she was. He didn't say anything for the longest time and Sam couldn't guess what he was thinking. She knew he was thinking, but his eyes didn't show enough…yet now…they seemed to be holding an emotion that she wasn't very familiar with. She had seen it in Danny's eyes, but very few times, maybe once or twice. Was it longing…or love?_

"_No fun tonight," he finally said. He got of the bed, his stance less energetic, but still so full of strength. He turned back to her and she had to fight to hide a blush that threatened to fill her face. Before her now she saw a handsome man. He was like Danny Phantom, but then again, not. His snow white hair seemed for thick and sleek. His green eyes were darker now and she saw gold flecks that made them all the more appealing. His physique didn't seem like that of a sixteen year old boy's, but of a man. He was gorgeous and she couldn't help but be amazed. "I was supposed to give you a message anyways. Remember: She looks at me, but doesn't see my eyes."_

"…am…"

_She was waking up. Relief and disappointment flooded through her, causing her even more grief, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. She looked back up at him and saw a sexy sly grin on his face that disappeared to a determined stare. _

"_I love you Sam. I want you Sam. You're all I can ever think about sometimes. I have a mind and will of my own, and what I feel for you is my own. I'm not going to be part of him much longer. You'll see. We'll be together yet."_

_What could she say to that!_

"Sam!"

"_I love you." Sexy sly grin…And then, he was gone._

Sam Manson opened her eyes and inhaled deeply. She held the breath a moment before releasing it, feeling her heartbeat come to her. She looked over to see Danny kneeling next to the bed, his face searching hers, worried. They seemed cloudy, stormy gray clouds in his normally clear blue eyes. And once again twilight met a pair of eyes, locked in the same face, not the dewy grass, but sorrowful skies, these seeming to be so much more pure and gentle though.

Afraid he was only an image, her hand reached out to stroke his face. She felt flesh, very warm, blood pulsing just beneath the surface, the feeling of small hairs, the body's sign that this boy before her would no longer be a boy, but a man. He cupped that hand with his own, rubbing his face into her skin, and her eyes fluttered, amazed that that one little action felt pleasurable.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She almost said no, but went against that. "I'm fine, just a little tired." Tired was the understatement of the century. She felt dead, a lead weight, not wanting to move from her spot, just to lie down and not have any more troubles. This was too much stress, and she felt like screaming, screaming till she ran out of breath, until she passed out and died from the effort. Her eyes went wide at that horrible thought, but then she masked it quickly enough so he never noticed. "Danny, is your computer on?"

He snapped out of his haze that she made. He looked at her, slightly confused. "Uh, yeah, I think so. Why?" She rolled off the bed and hit the floor, ignoring the rug burn that she had just received, and scrambled off the carpeting, hitting the computer chair. She looked at the screen and went rigid, her hands gripping the side of the desk so hard that they turned white. He went up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Sam, what is it?"

He looked at the screen himself and his jaw dropped open.

_Let the games begin. _

_-S_

A droplet of moister fell onto the desk, breaking a silence, the _plip _of it almost deafening. Danny looked to see more fall from Sam's face, silently falling, her eyes so full of sorrow.

"Please…Don't cry." He wrapped her in his arms, hugging her with all his might. "We'll find the bastard who's fucking with our minds. I promise he'll pay, I promise."

She didn't say anything, but nodded her head. He laid his head on her shoulder and wished more than anything in the world he could stop his Sam from feeling such pain.

But, for all he was, he couldn't.

* * *

_What would you do if you woke up and the whole world was gone, well?_

_Would you believe with me is where you belong?_

_Well there goes the whole world and we're right in the middle_

_There goes the whole world and we're right in the middle, I said_

_Leave me here, I said leave me here with you_

_-In The Middle (Theory of a Deadman)_

_Is there any significance in it? _

_Probably, but one should never think too far ahead. One needs to live in the present, not the past, not the future. There is only now. _

What could be down now? Nothing, of course, and then what was the point in worrying when it wasn't urgent. The "games" would begin, but in the meantime, they couldn't stress over it and let it rule their lives. No, they needed to bide their time and try to relax. Action would come soon enough, or maybe not, but Sam didn't want suffering, and the only thing Danny could do was try to help her forget it.

After they had both calmed down and decided to investigate when they could get a hold of Tucker, the song had begun playing on Danny's stereo system, a test to see if he had it all worked out, and to their delight, he had. Ecstatic at his triumph over machine, he ordered a pizza (just cheese and black olives. He was respectful of Sam tonight and didn't go with half and half.) and while waiting, they decided to play a couple rounds of DDR so that they'd be hungry enough when sustenance arrived. The TV came on, the pads were plugged in and placed on the floor, and the stereo was suddenly turned off for better concentration.

"Want to start with Light Step?" he asked.

Sam smirked. "Why not? I guess I could use a warm up round."

The two looked at each other for a moment, the prospects of a friendly challenge held. Without shifting his gaze, he touched the pad so the game would start. The music for the level flared to life and they turned their attention to the screen, neither wanting to lose the first round. Lights, sound, color, a total assault on the human mind and both of them loved it.

Up. Down. Left. Left. Left. Jump. Jump. Up. Right.

In perfect unison, they performed the moves, hours of practice finally paying off. The carpet's fibers were short enough so that the dance mats didn't sink into the floor, a problem in Sam's bedroom, for if the mats did sink into the floor, they didn't seem to respond to a tap and had to be smashed repeatedly. Danny's place was perfect for DDR and Sam oftentimes found herself coming over when she was bored and the two would spend their times together like this when Tucker wasn't around.

"About the dance next Saturday…what color dress are you wearing? I'd like to sort of match." He never took his eyes off the screen when he asked, only kept to the beat. Up hold. Down. Down. Right. Right. Right. Jump. "Still haven't decided?"

She had. Black, but since dancing and talking were on different sides of the brain, and she still hadn't had enough practice to fight it, the two parts collided and would either screw up her talking or screw up her game and neither one was an option at the moment. However, she was losing concentration enough and Danny was winning. "Blum…I mean black. Maybe dark violet. I'm still caught between the two." Crap! She was too far behind to get an A, not even a B. She'd have to settle for a C. "Just wear a black suit and a—"

"Violet silk tie," he interrupted. "I don't do bowties and luckily I planned enough in advance to get it all." The level ended and Sam had been right. She got a C, but Danny had gotten a B, so it hadn't been too bad. He didn't press anything to go back to the menu. "I thought you would have gotten it all together by now. You did that one time and you had been going (at this point he tried to mimic her voice, too high in pitch and sounding more like Paulina than anything): What's the point in going? Why do I want to go? Dances are pointless."

His antics faltered under her piercing gaze, the equivalent to a basilisk's. If she had been one, he would have probably turned to stone, but not truly so. He could see beneath the gaze that there wasn't any severity. He sighed inwardly. He was safe from her wrath and safe from any physical harm that might have been induced by her size five steel toed boots (but wait, she had taken them off for the game so he his shins were safe) or her polished nails that had been sharpened to tiny daggers.

"Do I really sound like that?" she asked.

He stopped. But then, he smiled. He smiled such a sweet smile, the kind of smile that she lived for. That was the smile he never showed to anybody but her, because there was a light in his heart that he held for her, only her, and that was why nobody had never seen him smile this wonderful smile. She couldn't get over it, because it stopped her heart. Everything came to a screeching halt. Tears could have welled up in her eyes and would have if time hadn't slowed. A blush rose to her face and she felt a strong emotion surging forth, one that she wasn't sure she could name…or could she?

"Naw. You sound more malevolent." Her eyes almost went down in disappointment, but he felt the impending sense of doom if he didn't say something soon and said, "I'm kidding. No. I couldn't copy your voice. It's too…um…" He scratched his head, embarrassed, but then he whispered, "Beautiful." He looked at her, a blush giving his face new color. "Maybe you should forget that…"

She grinned. "I think I'd rather not." Tension filled the air again and then, Sam did something very uncharacteristic. Slowly, taking one step at a time, until she stood right in front of Danny, she hugged him, as a friend would hug another. Not trying to feel awkward, he hugged back, and deeply breathed in her scent, that surprising feminine touch of lilies and cherry blossom, and the tangy lemon that helped to tie it together. His arms went from being around her elbows to entwine around her waist. His breathing stopped for a moment, but when she placed her arms around his neck, air came to him again. "Thank you, Danny," she whispered gently in his ear, wonderfully warm breath tickling his ear. "You mean so much to me…"

He looked into her eyes, beautiful amethyst. They were like jewels, glittering in the light, but still, that wasn't good enough to describe them. She was like a goddess, and he didn't want to think anymore, so he didn't.

His face lowered to hers, ever so slowly, lips just beginning to touch, flowery soft and warm and—

The doorbell rang. It rang once, twice, thrice.

Sam pulled away slightly, a sigh of disappointment on her minty fresh breath. "I guess that's the pizza man."

"Yeah. I'll get it." He felt like screaming in frustration.

But then, as he made his way down the stairs, Danny realized that he and Sam had been practically kissing. Kissing! And, if it happened once, it could happen again. Maybe things weren't so bad after all.

Maybe he could finally tell the girl of his dreams how he really felt about her.

Still, he was troubled. Who was this _S_? And, more importantly, could he defeat them when the time came?

* * *

_End Chapter

* * *

_

Author's Notes: Reviews, reviews, reviews! I love reviews and I love writing! This is my favorite project at the moment. I'm totally hooked on it myself! Can an author be hooked on their own story? Well, anyways, I hope you guys review because this is longer than my other chapters and I've been working so hard. I promise to reply to all you reviewers like I usually do. You guys mean the world to me and I want you to know that. Well, I guess I'll start chapter five ASAP. That's it for now, keep reading for the rest of the ride. Ciao.


	5. Shadow World

_Part One: Dark Eyes

* * *

_

_Chapter Five: Shadow World

* * *

_

His cell phone rang, some obscure Latin tune playing, and Sam had to arch an eyebrow in question at his ring tone choice. Danny blushed furiously and grabbed the noisy electronic device, flipping it open. He set down his slice of pizza and looked at the caller ID before placing his ear to it, a look of mild irritation on his face, which was not apparent whatsoever in his tone of voice.

"Tucker, what do you want?" It probably hadn't been detected by the youth on the other end, but she barely just made out the tiredness in his voice. Of course, it didn't sound as tired as she felt, that dead weight that made you feel as if you could fall forever, fall forever and do nothing about it. She had the kind of tiredness that made her want to sleep and never wake up. "Well, since you're bored, why don't you come over? There's something we need to investigate." There was a pause, him listening to Tucker's response. He looked over to Sam and a small blush rose to his face. "N-nothing like that is happening! Dammit, Tucker! I can't believe you'd say that." There was yet another pause. "That can't be true!" Pause. "It's not like that!" Pause. "How should I know if there's a tattoo there or not?" Pause. "Get your nerdy little ass down here before I tear your arms and legs off, put you on display, and have children laugh and call you "Stumpy" the rest of your life!" The phone was slammed shut.

"He's coming down, right?" She tried to hide her mirth, but was quite unsuccessful. A laugh escaped.

"He better," he grumbled. "I feel a lot more violent than just tearing limbs off and giving public humiliation."

She put her piece of pizza back down on the plate. Slowly, she crawled over to him (they had previously been sitting on the floor, playing Halo 2) until she was sitting right in front of him. A blush on her face faster than Danny's, she hugged him, not as a friend would, but hugged him intimately, her arms slinking around his neck, fingers twirling with his hair. He didn't question the strange behaviors anymore. He had felt terrible for when he had poking at Sam in the bathroom stall earlier today. It hadn't been his place to ask so many questions, so many harsh questions, but he had been so damned confused! He knew less of what was going on than her. She at least knew what her tormentor was doing. Him…it was as if he could be fighting air and be doing just as well. So that was why he didn't pull away from her or say anything. In fact, he accepted and welcomed it.

He pulled her into his lap. Her long, slim, pale legs wrapped around his waist. Her head rested on his shoulder, next to his neck. His head was also in between her shoulder and neck as well. He could have easily kissed her fragrant flesh, but resisted the temptation. He would resist it now, anyways. However, she hugged him more with her legs, he body melding closer with his. He had to control his breathing, or he was afraid he'd lose control over himself.

"You could do something else besides being violent," she whispered breathily into his ear.

That had come out of left field, for both of them! Why was she acting like this? She didn't know why, but it was as if she needed to be with him, close contact, skin to skin, anything to anything. But still, why was she acting like this? Shouldn't she have been terrified of this, that in her dreams, her torturer looked practically like Danny Phantom? The only difference was that the dream Phantom had crazily obsessed green eyes, had a different personality, but…the dream Phantom held a same desire for her and the Danny Phantom in reality. Oh God! How easily had that come at a time like this? Was she right? She could be, but there was only one way to know. For some reason, she wasn't scared how badly it could turn out, yet she needed to know. Her dreams had been so confusing, the dream Phantom saying that he loved her, loved her! She needed to know that if the Danny in real life loved her. She needed it, wanted it. She wanted one thing that wasn't insane in her life. Not knowing was making her insane, so she needed to know. That was why she was doing this. That was why! This was amazing! How could so much realization come in about ten seconds to her? Who cared? Right now, her body was wrapped around a very, very handsome boy.

"You could do something…a little more…sensual…." She gently pulled at his ear with her teeth.

What she had said, the way she said it, not to mention her mouth, delicious shivers coursed down his spine. He was once again acutely aware he could easily kiss her. He wouldn't but then again…wait…had Sam been…flirting! The thought hit him like a punch from Skulker. Why else would she have wrapped her legs around him? Why else would she have whispered that oddly cryptic phrase in his ear? Well, it wasn't cryptic, and she was definitely flirting with the way she had pulled at his ear. She would allow him to make an advance, and if not, he'd stop. It would just mean he was reading the signs wrong, but either way, he'd be that much closer to know Sam completely.

"I like…sensual." His hands slowly went to the small of her back, resting there, not moving up or down. However, they slowly massaged the milky flesh at reach. His lips went to the jaw line a bit below the ear. It was such a light kiss, barely noticeable, but she noticed it by the spot of warm air. "Sensual is…great."

She pulled back a little, just enough to look into the wonderful blue eyes set in his face. He stared at her amethyst orbs. In two seconds, a strange sense of eternity passed. And then, he closed the distance between them. Slowly, he closed the distance between them. She was warm, inviting, tasted of green tea with a hint of mint. He was also warm, full of life, a fiery passion deep in him, just waiting for the opportune moment to arise. His breath was citrus tasting. Their lips touched softly, and the spark wasn't a spark, but like a flame on the first contact. He kissed her harder, and she responded with her own force. He smiled slightly, amazed at how they still fought for dominance, but not wanting to be out done, his tongue slipped out and slid across the bottom of her lip. She inhaled sharply and began to draw back, surprised at his action, but his hands pressed into her back and her mouth was forced on his.

Green eyes watched from inside, anger rising. However, there would soon be an encounter in the favorable element; shadows that is.

* * *

"I can't believe he'd react like that," Tucker sighed.

He slammed his foot on the accelerator. The moped reared up; back tire screeching on the pavement. It surged forward the last couple hundred feet he needed to go before coming to a halt in front of the easy to see Fenton Works. He leaned his mode of transportation up against the light pole outside the stoop and bounded up the steps. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton weren't in site, so he wasn't bombarded with their latest technological ghost-hunting device. Jazz must've been out. If she had been in, she would have been down immediately. Jazz had a sixth sense when people came into her home. She was damage control and tried to get to visitors before Mr. or Mrs. Fenton could. Since none of the eccentric Fenton members were around, he made a break for the second floor.

"_I don't think you need me to investigate. You might just want Sam for that one. Are you and her getting it on?" He had to grin. _

"_N-nothing like that is happening! Dammit, Tucker! I can't believe you'd say that." It was just the sort of response he should expect from Danny. The boy got flustered every time he mentioned any sexual ideas of Sam._

"_Well, you know that she's been wanting you for a while now, right? She so wants you." _

"_That can't be true!"_

"_I shouldn't come over. I'd be afraid to walk in on you two doing something down and dirty." He gave a few bars, trying to sound like a porn song, but failed miserably and went with, "Oh yeah!" _

"_It's not like that!" It was so easy to get Danny worked up. Tucker would have to think about more ways to torture the fellow. _

"_What kind of tattoo does she have on her backside?" At some place and time, a place and time he couldn't remember, Tucker had heard that Sam had gotten a tattoo on her backside. The only way he'd find out was if he got the two together. "I bet it's something dark." _

"_How should I know if there's a tattoo there or not?"_

_Damn, Tucker loved to do this. "You should find that out now. I'll let you two be."_

The threat had been enough to get him off of his nerdy little ass and high tail it to Danny's. He made it to his friend's room in record time and placed his hand on the doorknob and would've opened it, but he heard something that made him pause.

"…sensual is…great…" That was Danny's voice.

There was silence, but then someone inhaled sharply. He was confused, and this made him pause even longer. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go in. Of course, he wasn't sure if he should listen or not. But then again, he wanted very badly to listen. After all, he might get some pointers on how he should act around Valerie.

There was a small moan. Whoa…was that Sam? Holy shit, this was hot! Tucker pressed his ear to the door, so as to hear what was happening better. There was a small stumbling sound. Did they fall to the floor? There was another moan, but then the sounds of activity stopped.

"Do you want me to stop?" That was Danny.

"Don't…please…" Sam's voice.

Tucker leaned in closer to the door. However, he forgot that the door wasn't locked and it swung inwards. He fell into the room, very loudly, very clumsily, right into Danny, who was lying on Sam, whose shirt had been pulled halfway up. Never before had something so awkward happened to any of them. At least no one else was around, but still…it was very awkward, and no one moved for a very long time. That was until Tucker rolled off of the two. Chaos broke out between the three and it was impossible to tell who was saying what, unless one listened closely.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Where you two getting it on?"

"Were you spying! God, you're a damned pervert!"

"You two were so getting it on!"

"Tucker! " "Idiot!"

* * *

"That's all there is?" Tucker sat at Danny's computer. Sam lay on Danny's bed. Danny sat beside her, cross legged, his hand nonchalantly dragging up and down one of her legs. Tucker ignored it, knowing it was for the best. After all, twenty minutes ago, things got out of hand and more or less, Danny got to do the childish act of shadowing him and having him repeatedly say, "Quit hitting yourself." Sam had gotten enough amusement out of it, but the two tired of it and he was finally allowed to have his body back. Now, he was looking at an obscure message that didn't make any sense to him. Who was S? What games were going to begin? "Look…I may be a techno geek, but I'm not the detective type."

Danny gave a frustrated groan. His hand still stroked her leg. Sam didn't say anything. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking, but then sat up and opened them again, looking to both Danny and Tucker. They looked to her, waiting for her to speak. She was obviously thinking, thinking hard, which was a surprised, because thoughts came so easily to Sam and she was usually able to speak without a pause.

"I…I want to…try something." She looked at Danny. "It might be a little dangerous, but I think…it's worth a try."

Tucker scoffed. "Let's just hear it. There's nothing else to do, so we might as well."

Sam glared at him, but then she looked at Danny. "I think Danny…if you can shadow people…maybe you can come to their dreams with them…" She stopped, obviously slightly angry at the thought. "I don't know…it's just…maybe if somebody came with me in the dream, maybe I wouldn't feel so bad. I think if someone else came along…at least there'd be another person there to help me." She shrugged, obviously helpless. "It's the best I can think of. So, what do you say?"

Danny bit his bottom lip. He looked away. Tucker was where he looked. He looked the other way. A doorway greeted him. He looked in another direction. It was Sam. She was staring, no expression to help him make a decision. He only saw amethyst. Amethyst so pure…He wanted to drown in it, to be cleansed, baptized. If he could forever drown in it, he would have been at peace.

"All right. Let's do it."

* * *

Her breathing was soft, shallow, but regular. His was almost nonexistent. But then again, he wasn't really in his body anymore. He was more inside Sam's. His mind was, anyways. He was converging his mind with hers, intertwining them. With any luck, it would work out and Danny would be able to visit Sam's dreams with her. Tucker, meanwhile, was keeping watch. If something went wrong, he was supposed to wake them up. Sam had explained that sometimes some things followed her into reality…physically.

Right now…Danny and Sam were dreaming. They weren't only dreaming. They were going to finally meet him. So soon, they were going to meet him, completely unprepared.

_She opened her eyes. It was as if she had never fallen asleep, but the absence of Tucker stopped that idea. She was dreaming, but looking next to her and seeing Danny, she was happy someone had finally come along for the ride through hell. Almost instantly, he opened his eyes. He blinked once. Twice. He gave a small smile and squeezed her hand. _

"_Hey," he said softly. _

_She squeezed back. "Hey." _

_He looked around and frowned. "Why are we in my room?" _

_She shrugged. "I don't know, but every time I have one of these nightmares, it's in my bedroom, or sometimes yours." She felt a little scared, and scooted closer to Danny, who wrapped his arms around her in a comforting, protecting manner. "I think it's in a personal place to say that I can't ever run away. I should be afraid of my safe spot." Why hadn't anything happened yet? Where was he, her tormentor? "This is kind of strange, though. I don't know what's supposed to happen. Usually, he's here right away."_

"_Of course I'm here," a throaty voice replied. They both turned to see the Danny Phantom look alike, standing at the foot of the bed. However, he wasn't in the usual superhero jumpsuit. He wore black leather pants, with a silky black t-shirt that accented his upper body. He had a black leather jacket as well and black buckle boots. The only piece of wardrobe that wasn't black was a silver necklace with an ornamental S on in. He also wore some silver studs in his ear, three in the right, and two in the left. Sam began to shake. She wasn't sure if it was with fear or excitement. Danny began to place Sam behind him, prepared to defend her at any sign of hostility. Danny and his Phantom look alike glared daggers at each other. "I guess you brought your hero with you this time." _

"_Obviously she doesn't like you," Danny retorted. His eyes flashed an angry green. His ghost powers were on hand. "So, are you really me, or are you just some crazed poser?" Sam saw the beginnings of a ghost ray forming in his hand. Amazing. It was amazing how overprotective he could get when someone was interested in her. Then, how could he be so blind when it was the other way around? Wait! That wasn't the point right now. Right now, they had a nightmare to face. Maybe…she should let Danny handle this his own way. After all, she gave up on fighting this, or at least she thought she had. "Do you even have your own name, or did you have to take my name as well?"_

_The look alike arched an eyebrow, a hint of amusement on his handsome features. "Wow. Someone finally is taking charge for themselves." He gave a sexy sly grin, the kind that ended up making Sam blush. Luckily, neither of them noticed. The look alike held out his hand. It glowed with ectoplasmic energy. "I am my own, but since I came from you, I thought I would emulate my creator. It's supposed to be flattery. I guess I could look like myself." He gave a little laugh. "Nah. I won't do it right now. That would just ruin all the fun and games, wouldn't it?" _

_Danny had enough. He jumped off the bed and confronted his…whatever half. The two stood exactly same height, same fiery life held in the both of them. They glared defiantly at each other. There was a strange burst of power between them. Sam could feel the heat coming from it, so powerful. However, she couldn't take it anymore and jumped between the two of them, pushing them apart. _

"_Enough!" she shouted. The two stopped, irritated at the sudden interruption. She turned to the Danny Phantom look a like. "These are my dreams. You can't hurt me. I'm so sick and tired of it. Just…tell me who you are."_

_He laughed again. "My, my, kitty. You've grown bold, haven't you?" He looked to Danny again. "I suppose that's what a hero does to someone like you." Another laugh. "But, you obviously don't know I control this world." _

"_What?" Sam backed up into Danny. Fear began to course through her. "How can you control my dreams?"_

_He giggled insanely, a high pitch to it. It was horribly disturbing. Danny put Sam behind him. The change came over him. Two rings of light parted from his waistline. After the glowing rings disappeared at his head and feet, he was the true Danny Phantom, the blazing silver D emblem on his chest. The look a like stopped giggling. His smile left him, and lightning fast he let fly a punch and hit the real Danny Phantom squarely in the face. He went flying into Sam, knocking her over. The two hit the floor hard, but Danny had enough sense in him to roll off of her. _

_A black buckled boot stomped next to his head. He looked up to see his look a like holding an ectoplasmic whip. His eyes widened in surprise at the fact that he had been punched so fast, and at the fact he hadn't seen a whip as strange as the one before him right now. _

_On its own, the whip snaked around his neck. _

_A realization came to Danny. _

_He might get the shit beat out of him. _

"_Aw fuck," was all he said before the look a like hurled him into the air and into the opposite wall. "Shit," he groaned. _

_The look a like bent down to Sam, who was still on the ground. He gave another sexy sly grin and laid his whip on her thigh, which proceeded to wrap around her waist on its own accord. She shivered and looked over to Danny, still stuck in the wall, his head bent down. Was he knocked out? Oh God she hoped not. Wasn't he supposed to help her? No, no, no! _

"_Danny," she whispered._

_He lifted her into the air until she was entangled in his arms. He kissed her roughly, a dominating force. She could only gasp and let him ravish her. _

"_This isn't a dream, Sam," he murmured. "This is my world, the world of shadows."_

"_Sam," Danny moaned. He fell out of the wall. "Sam…I'm coming."_

"_I'm from the darkness itself, the inner evil everyone has but never wants to admit. I rule the shadows, next to the light, never touching, always wanting. While you're here, you're mine, body and soul."_

"_But…who are you?" She felt like liquid in his arms. Danny? Where was Danny?_

"_Who am I?" He stroked her face. _

_Her heartbeat stopped for one second. Two seconds. _

"_Shade." _

_And then all Sam could hear was someone screaming her name. _

_Danny?

* * *

_

_Look at me and stare into my eyes_

_We'll watch the world go by_

_Hold my hand and let's fly away,_

_Fly away from our problems day after day_

_Just come, come and fly away_

_Fly away, fly away, fly away_

_With me… _

_Let the games begin.

* * *

_

_End Chapter

* * *

_

Author's Notes: Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I don't know about you guys, but that chapter had me on the edge of my seat! I hope I can make the next one just as good. Wait…did you guys like it! I hope so! I'm really going to need reviews for this one, okay? I worked my butt off. Also, did you guys like the little poem at the end? I kind of suck at that stuff, so I hope you don't mind me inserting my crap. Anyways…please give lots of reviews! After all, it's Christmas and reviews are the best gifts in the world! Stay tuned for chapter six. Ciao.


	6. Crimson Tears

_Part One: Dark Eyes

* * *

_

_Chapter Six: Crimson Tears

* * *

_

_No…This couldn't be happening. How could this happen, after all the stupid problems, the ridiculous enemies that never really threatened them, but turned out to be a nuisance, how could this happen? It seemed like it snuck up on them, like a jar of beads, where only one was taken at a time and it would hundreds would be gone before you even noticed something amiss. But still…how could it happen? No one had enough patience to torture them like this. They always wanted to take over the world or defeat the ghost boy or control the newest cardboard boxes at hand. Nobody was truly this conniving, this hurtful, were they?_

_Danny?_

_Danny was screaming her name. He was screaming with a strange desperation. Why? Danny…why was he screaming? Nothing was even happening. Why should he be screaming? What was happening? Everything was so hazy now. Someone was holding her, but it wasn't Danny, it almost felt like him, but then she was being forced to be close with this person. She couldn't hear anything. She still felt like liquid. She still felt scared. She still felt dead tired, still felt tired of everything. Would be tired every go away? Would the pain, the confusion, the terror, would it all go away? If not, why would she want to go on living? What was living? What was anything?_

_Being flung into a wall was enough to knock some sense into her._

_Sound rushed back to her, as if the volume had been on mute and was suddenly turned to full blast, Danny yelling and the sudden sound of someone chanting. She looked up just in time to see Shade conjure a broad sword and put_ _it above his head, one hand holding the hilt and the other holding the flat side of the blade. Danny had conjured a beautiful long sword, wickedly sharp. The hilt held a large amethyst, surrounded by black leather. It seemed to glow with a golden, inner light. Danny's brow was furrowed. His teeth were gritted, his body suspended in midair, possible by his powers or the shadow world, she wasn't sure. The masculinity seemed to leak from them, a power of its own, both forces competing for dominance and neither really winning or losing._

_Shade grinned and with the space between the two of them, his head closed the distance and smashed against Danny's own skull. Danny went flying backwards, but caught himself in the air about a foot and a half before he hit the wall behind him. With renewed vigor, he ran towards Shade and the swords collided once again, sparks flying this time. Sam could do nothing but watch. While in these, these dreams, this world, it had always been between her and Shade. Now, it was between Danny and him. She didn't want to stand back and watch somebody she cared for get hurt._

_Shade's leg hooked around Danny's and he knocked him to the floor. He pointed the tip of the broad sword at the youth's throat. There was a sexy sly grin. Danny gulped and there was a pinprick of blood, the smallest trickle. It made its way down his throat, the smallest line left behind until it stopped at the silver collar, an incredibly small stain. He stopped breathing for a moment, afraid that any movement would cause a wider gash._

_A sigh. "I guess I win, but…it was so easy." He opted for a sexy pout instead of a sexy sly grin. "You're not as much fun as Sam. Now Sam…" There were suddenly bindings around Danny. It looked like regular chains, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't phase out of them or break them apart. He was helpless and who knew what the hell was going to happen to Sam. Shade moved over to Sam, who tried to punch him, but he swooped inside the attack so that his face was mere inches from hers, his arm pinning her left one to her side and had it wrapped around her waist. His other hand grabbed her wrist that had been part of the punch. His eyes widened and then half closed suggestively. "Kitty is lots of fun, lots and lots of fun." She turned her face away from him, disgusted. He turned back to Danny. "She's so very flexible and her skin…it's so soft, but I think you already knew that."_

_Suddenly, he was next to Danny. It was strange. He had been in one spot one second and the next he was in another. It took Danny another few seconds to realize what had happened and he also saw that Sam was in his arms, his hand resting dangerously high on her thigh. Danny felt anger and jealousy course through him. But, there wasn't a single thing he could do about it. He was completely helpless and was forced to watch. He couldn't tell Sam's expression from his viewpoint, but he had a disturbing feeling that she might have liked it more then she wanted to admit._

_"She's rough." He laid Sam down on the floor so that she was parallel with Danny, a few feet away from him. What the hell was going on? Was Shade going to do something that Danny didn't want to see? "And…she tastes so good." With that, he kissed her neck and she tried to pull away, but his body kept her on the floor. She let out something between a moan of pleasure and a whimper of fear. Was she really that torn? Danny felt a pang. He didn't know what the pang was, but he wanted to look away so badly, but it was as if he had to watch what was happening. He couldn't tear his eyes away from it all. "Danny…I'm going to make you watch. You can watch, but you can't touch." A hand stroked Sam's thigh, moving in circles, higher each time. "Me…I can look… and touch." He rolled her shirt higher up so that her smooth stomach was exposed. "You can't handle her. She needs a real man." He scraped his teeth along her flesh and she arched, her nails scratching into the floor. Tears, silent and so many, streamed down her face. He kissed them off her, drinking their essence. "So good…just like honey."_

_He continued to fondle her. She tried to fight, but he slammed her back against the floor and she hissed in pain as her head hit the floor so hard that her vision swam. He then continued to assault her. His hands roamed along her legs. He traced the devilish designs along her stomach with his tongue. She let out a growl. He laughed and bit her ear lobe. She turned away, but he grabbed her jaw and made her look at him. She spit in his face, and his smile disappeared. He arched his eyebrows and slapped her._

_She let out a small cry at the pain._

_"You asshole!" Danny yelled. "Stop hurting her. Get away from her! I swear I'll make you pay."_

_Shade turned his attention from Sam to him. He shoved her aside and made his way to his creator. He sat on Danny and Danny's eyes widened in surprise and fear._

_"You know," Shade whispered, "I wonder what would happen if I did this?"_

_"Wh-what!" And then, Danny went blank when Shade kissed his forehead lovingly. He saw a flash of this dark half's real appearance: silky, long white hair, amazing green eyes with golden flecks, and a gorgeous body. Oh God no. Did this attract Danny? Oh shit no. No way in hell. Where the fuck was it coming from then? What the fuck was it! "G-get o—off of me!"_

_Shade laughed and did get off, immediately going back to Sam. He squeezed her, but still kept his eyes on Danny. "Do you want to know why you were attracted by that?" He laughed again and gave Sam a kiss, who merely fought back again to no avail. "You were attracted by it because darkness is fascinating. I'm a darkness itself, sin, your deepest desire and that is why both you and Sam want me but don't want me. Well, Sam wants me for other reasons as well." He slowly licked along the length of her slim legs and she squirmed, moaning, hands groping along the length of the floor. Another laugh. "Don't worry, Danny. You aren't necessarily wanting me, myself, just what I represent. I just wanted to know for sure and I was right." His hands disappeared up Sam's skirt and she arched at an impossible angle that fascinated Danny, made him jealous, and completely pissed him off that Shade was doing that to Sam instead of him. "Besides, why do I want you when I can have a lovely creature like this? I told you she was flexible." He grabbed her hair and roughly necked her._

_Danny closed his eyes, angry, angry with himself and with this bastard, this bastard toying with Sam and him. He shook his head, gritted his teeth. He tried once again to break from the chains, desperately trying to ignore Sam whimpering, Shade laughing softly. He ignored it and concentrated on getting free. There. He heard the chains groan. Sam gasped and he made the mistake of looking over. Her clothes were ripped and she was pounding on his chest and kicking, trying everything to get away from her tormentor, but she wasn't strong enough. He only grinned and went back for her neck with a renewed vigor._

_She looked over at him. Tears were still streaming down her face. "Danny," she sobbed. "I can't fight it. Please…help me."_

_He snapped._

_He took a deep breath. She screamed, but the scream was cut off as Shade's hands went around her throat. He opened his mouth wide and unleashed his all-powerful ghostly wail._

_There was a forced cough. A splatter of blood fell onto Sam's face.

* * *

_

He searched through the fridge for something good, anything to eat that he was sure wasn't a freaky experiment. To his delight, he found a fresh turkey sandwich, probably Danny's forgotten lunch. He had, after all, been crazy enough get sustenance from the school, the dreaded macaroni and cheese. Since he figured his best friend wouldn't be hungry, he grabbed the sandwich and took a bite out of it before any objections could be made. On a second thought, he grabbed a Mountain Dew that wasn't open and didn't have any unusual odors.

There was a scream.

The sandwich was smashed against his shirt when he jumped. Mountain Dew fell to the floor, the yellow liquid spilling everywhere, glittering over the tile, the droplets distorting the picture around it. Tucker himself was able to stay up and resisted the urge to cringe. But then, of course, he ran for the stairs, in leaps and bounds, up in a matter of seconds. He burst into Danny's room and tripped when he stopped. He was up again and crawling as fast as he could to them. He was over to Danny first and shook him as hard as he could.

The youth's eyes flashed open, still an angry green, but then faded to the striking blue they always were.

Not wasting any time, he made his way to his other friend and shook her awake, a quite easy thing to do. She sat up, her mouth opened in a silent scream, grasping at her throat. A choking sound then came from her, and she bent over, breathing heavily. Tears fell, so many, wetting the sheet in no time.

"Guys…what happened?" Tucker asked. He rubbed Sam's back, worried. She finally calmed, but stayed bent over. "What'd you find out?"

"Fuck that bastard!" Danny jumped off the bed and grabbed the nearest thing, his bedside phone, and whipped it into an oblivious direction. The cords were torn out of the wall. It hit the window and broke it, an earth shattering sound as the glass broke. The fragments glittered in the sun. The window was now jagged at the edges, a pattern of broken webs. Sam and Tucker looked at it, amazed. However, Danny wasn't done with that and fell to the floor, pounding it with his fists as hard as he could. "Fuck that bastard!" With every word, there was a punch, emphasizing his anger. He looked at his hands, his friends, his hands, and then his friends again. His anger subsided and his eyes glistened with apology and regret. "I'm sorry," he said in a hoarse whisper. "I'll…I'll…" His head bent down in defeat.

She didn't wait for him to finish. Terrified, she ran as fast as she could.

Tucker called out for her, but neither of them went after her. That was good. She didn't want them to follow.

Why did she feel everything around her had been shattered so much like the window had?

She ran blindly on.

Nobody knew, but a part of her would die.

* * *

_Just run away from it all_

_Go until you give up and fall_

_And when you fall solve it with a little cut_

_Take it all away with just a cut_

_Be blind to all the pain_

_Break that damning chain_

_And I'll be by your side _

_Your head held high, so full of pride_

_It's just a cut…just a little cut

* * *

_

She finally found her way home. It was dark a long time ago, but she had been so lost. Everything had been nothing but a blur of lights, a muddle of sounds, and the always nauseating smell of bad blood, as if she were still in the dream, still under Shade, who had suddenly began to cough blood under the assault of Danny's ghostly wail. Nothing had happened after that. They had woken up and she had finally been able to breath, but she knew that there were now fresh markings around her neck, ones to replace the old ones.

An inspection in front of the bathroom mirror revealed that she was right. She had to take off her sweater to see, but there were the marks. Deep purple, yellow at the edges, they were disgusting. She felt branded now, as if she were a criminal. She felt dirty and wanted nothing more then to cast them away, forget that everything happened. She felt like a traitor to Danny. He had been so…angry, so scary. She wasn't sure whether or not he had been angry with her. She didn't think she wanted to know. She fell to her knees, hands gripping the side of the sink, and something fell to the floor with a clatter.

It glinted brightly under the light, so beautiful.

Sam grabbed the razor blade.

It rested in her palm, innocent, clean…sharp. Her head titled to the side. The glint was enticing. She heard a whisper.

"_Go ahead. Let it bleed."_

Her head came up and she looked around, hopefully for any signs of a person close by. The voice wasn't Shade's or Danny's, but still…it sounded eerily familiar. However, it was oddly comforting, as if it knew all the answers to her problems. She felt compelled to listen to it.

"_Just a cut." _

A b-bump, b-bump sound rushed to her ears. It took her a moment to realize that it was her own heartbeat. She was hearing her heart. It was strong and steady, but was she really sure it was her own? Was she imagining things? After all, she could be dead and not know it…and that's where the razor became so enticing. It glinted suggestively in the light. It was then she knew that there was something she needed to do.

"_Are you really alive?" _

The blade went high and then fell.

The perfectly white tile was marred with a splash of crimson.

Her innocence was truly gone.

_Danny…are you there? I feel scared. I feel…tired. And now…I feel nothing._

She was alive…she hoped.

* * *

Tucker blinked once. Twice. His mouth was open in disbelief. Danny sat at the edge of his bed, holding his head in his hands, red with shame. Neither had gone after Sam when she had run. Neither of them could bring themselves to, although it was Danny who was probably more suited to do so, they still couldn't do anything. Not even a phone call was possible. It didn't occur to either of them yet that Sam had been dealing with Shade for a while now.

And, although Danny told him most everything, he never told Tucker that Shade had…had actually given him a kiss. He didn't even want to start thinking about being attracted to sin and dark desires and anything remotely sick, especially in the form of a male body.

"So…you had to watch Sam get it on with someone who looked like you in ghost form?"

He just had to mention it, didn't he?

Danny's only answer was a nod and a groan.

"Okay, that bites, but…she didn't like it, did she? I mean, you two were totally scoring when I came here earlier." Danny glared at him. "Well, she didn't want it…Shade, did she?"

Danny sighed. "That's what I don't know. She seemed…torn." He shook his head. "I don't know what to do? I mean…I like Sam. I really do, but after that…event…I'm not sure if she likes me." But then again…maybe she had only been torn because what Shade represented, sin and darkness, maybe she had actually found that striking and not Shade himself. At least, that's what he was hoping. If that glimpse of Shade was really what he looked like, he might have to worry. But then again, if Sam liked Danny himself, maybe he shouldn't worry that she would go for looks alone. Damn it all! He just wished things weren't so…so…. complicated!

"Dude!" Tucker jumped up and grabbed Danny's shoulders. "She's probably not sure how you feel. I mean…damn man. She's just as confused, and I bet what happened earlier didn't help." He struck a defiant pose. "You need to go and see her. She needs comforting." Danny looked up surprised. "You both need each other. I may be a friend with you two, but this is only between you and her. I can't help." He shrugged his shoulders. "Besides…she likes you better when it comes to a shoulder to cry on. Now…go!"

Before he even realized it, Danny was pushed outside his own bedroom door and fell against the opposite wall. Tucker slammed the door to make sure he wouldn't come in, although that couldn't stop him. However, it was the idea that the door was shut, as a sort of barrier that was a psychological factor that he couldn't turn back on this. If he did, it would probably become a threat to his masculinity, and he didn't have much to begin with. He couldn't lose the precious bit he had left.

"But this is involving my pride now," he muttered. Suddenly, he had a strange feeling. It was a bad one, right in the pit of his stomach, and for some reason, it had to do with Sam. He suddenly felt sluggish, but oh so alive. He slid down to the floor, head back, staring up at the ceiling, only…it wasn't as if he was himself, in his own body, in his own home. He saw the harsh glare of a light. His chest went up and now, breasts swelling against the bra, skin prickling in the cool air. Sam? Was he maybe Sam at this moment, or was a merely residing in the moment with her? He wasn't sure, but right now he felt calm, wonderfully calm. The blade fell to the floor, skidding across the tile until he saw the whole blade. It glittered happily, stained with a few fresh drops of crimson. He now knew he was no longer innocent. Any trace of it was now gone. "Sam…Don't…" He was suddenly rushing back to himself and he was staring up at his own ceiling in his own home. He jumped up and became intangible, opting to fly straight up and bursting into the sky. "I hope it's not true."

Clouds gathered off in the distance. There was a rumble of thunder from their darkness. They were not weeping, but they would soon be.

Danny had to wonder about the rain. He had often always thought of rain and Sam merged together. She loved it so much but with the turn of events, he had to wonder.

With her innocence gone, would the rain's be gone as well?

Would the sky weep crimson tears?

* * *

_He watched from the top of a building. The rain began to fall steadily, icy cold and dark. He liked it best that way, just like Sam did. Many times, it seemed that the rain could wash away so many sins. If it did so, would it wash him away? After all, he was a sin itself, made from the deepest, darkest desires, a physical form. Would he melt? _

_Who cared?_

_Right now, he was enjoying himself, watching Sam through her window. And right now, she was only in a towel, dripping wet. For some reason, he felt a slight blush rise to his face, to see his love like this. For some reason, she seemed peaceful, even a little bit happy. That was strange. Someone like her…he expected her to dwell on it. He expected her to be disturbed about what had happened. After all, wouldn't most sensible people be disturbed by what had happened, especially since her hero had watched her do some very, very bad things. _

_She stopped and looked at her right wrist. He peered closer to see what was happening. He saw a bright red line across her wonderfully pale skin. _

_He frowned. _

_So that was the cause of her calm. She found an outlet. _

_Unfortunately, he was forced to leave when he saw a certain ghost boy speed past him and to Sam's room. _

_He turned away, smirking. _

_Maybe the games were going to be more fun then he thought.

* * *

_

_The object of my affection is the object of my obsession…_

_So, why don't we have a little more fun? I'm dying for a good game. Everything's been so dull, so let's spice things up a little. _

_I have a great idea. All you need to do is go a little crazy. And that, that doesn't take very much at all. _

_After all, it's just a cut…just a little cut…

* * *

_

_End Chapter

* * *

_

Author's Notes: Merry Christmas! I think it's time for the gift of giving: reviews! Lots and lots of reviews! Okay, I realize that it was a little disturbed, but I swear that it will all be explained, so I hope you guys don't mind. You guys have been so great and you deserve another chapter, right? Duh! Also, I started a forum called A Dark Half. Maybe someone would be willing to check it out? Anyways, hopefully I'll be able to get chapter seven out this vacation as well. I have basketball practices only for about two hours in the morning and just one game over the break. I don't have to work, so it's all good. Just have some punch or eggnog and raise it high with a nice little cheer.

Happy Holidays.


	7. Soft Touch

_

* * *

_

Part One: Dark Eyes

* * *

_Chapter Seven: Soft Touch

* * *

_

He didn't become invisible and then intangible. He usually did so around Sam, for he liked to surprise her and try to catch her in some sort of compromising position, but that wasn't the case now. He felt that his invasion on her privacy wouldn't be as funny as it had been before and result in a more serious manner then he would expect, and so he landed heavily on the balcony, making sure to cause noise so she'd know he was there. She still didn't turn around, only left the room and went to her walk in closet, all at a leisurely pace.

That was strange. Why was she acting so…herself? He knew she was good at concealing emotion, but he didn't expect her to be so calm.

"If you stand out there any longer, I will call the police and tell them I have a peeping Tom problem."

He phased through the closed glass doors, cautiously, as if he might be going into a trap. Music was softly playing in the back round; the sounds of one of Sam's J-Rock bands, Glay, white noise for him. Clothes were flying out of the closet at a high speed, allowing him to only see a few things: a black mini skirt, cargo pants, an old pair of combat boots, and something silky that hit Danny right in the face. To his horror (or was it perverted glee?), after peeling the item off of him, he saw that it was one of her bras. Hmmm…what size was this? Before he could check, Sam came out of the closet. He dropped the piece of lingerie before she could notice.

The change came over him, and he was back to his natural, clumsy, but charming form. And, that was probably for the best. She saw him and smiled softly; however, the smile didn't reach her eyes. He smiled back, desperately trying to control the heat rising to his face. He knew that Sam might be a little…different after the whole encounter, but this…he had been thinking she'd be…sulking. The last thing he expected her to be was, well, outgoing. At least, outgoing was what the outfit was saying. She was no longer wearing her usual tank top, skirt, and combat boots. She wore a small tube top that hugged her body, a dark purple, her breasts pushed to the top. She had a black mini skirt that was so short that if she sat down wrong, he'd find out if she was wearing underwear or not, with her old combat boots, and purple socks. Black, fingerless gloves that went up to her elbows adorned her, and her attitude said to basically "bring it."

"You never seen a girl in clothes before?" she asked challengingly. She flopped down on her bed and grabbed the remote at hand. The high definition TV, with just a press of a button, came out from its hiding place in the ceiling and lowered so that one could watch entertainment from the comfort of a bed, but she didn't turn it on. He sat down next to her, slightly cautious, no, not slightly cautious, very cautious because flopping down had caused her skirt to ride up and to his relief (or was it disappointment?) that she was indeed wearing underwear. But, more then anything, he wanted to tear off the gloves, look at the pale skin on the length of her arms, and see that the strange dream or a strange hallucination or whatever he had was just that...not real. He prayed for no red mark across her flesh. She caught him staring. "What? What are you looking at?"

His eyes were so full of love, but so very sad. Her attitude halted for a moment and it seemed as if her personality was unsure of itself, and she sat up, slightly confused Sam, the real Sam, was back. She wasn't the Sam that had finally broken but she was the Sam unsure of her identity, the one who fought against society norms. She was the sweet young woman who went through life and questioned anything and everything. He reached out and stroked her face, and she flinched slightly, as if scared, but in actuality was only unsure. However, his hand didn't move, there was no disappointment on his face, and she fell back into his comforting touch. His other arm pulled her closer to him so that she was directly in front of him, their faces inches from each other. His eyes were half closed, his beautiful blueness unreadable. Her mouth opened and closed several times, each movement closer and closer to his lips. It was as if she had to have some part of him, a strange sense of desperation.

She kissed him, softly, but as if she was hungry for something, and that hunger seemed to grow; however, he didn't respond. He was unmoving and she stopped, her lips still resting on his. Her breath shuddered softly. She slowly pulled away, looked off. She was suddenly uncomfortable, confused. She could have sworn that Danny would go for her, and this made her feel that she might be unworthy of his affections. And feeling unworthy of Danny made her feel dirty, sullied. Did he not want her because someone else had gotten to her? Was Shade right? No, please, he couldn't be right, because if he was, that meant he would be winning.

"Movie time," she was able to get out. Her mask was on in a second: no clear emotions. With her mask, it always seemed as if she was on the point of boredom, but nothing else was given. "I don't know if there's anything good to watch or not."

"Sam," he whispered, like he was sorry for her. She shook her head slightly, as if she wouldn't have, couldn't have it. She hated pity used on her, like it was some sort of disease. It always felt like a weakness to her, even is she would feel pity for someone.

"I sort of feel like watching something cool. How about Sin City? Yeah, that's great." She was babbling. She did that every time she wanted to scream in frustration or was nervous. "I have it in anyways and I don't have anything else. Well…what about The Crow or Blood: The Last Vampire? I like those two a lot. What do you think?"

He rolled her over so that she was lying on her back. He set himself on top of her, burying his head by her neck. She let out a soft sigh, barely audible, but he heard it pass through her throat, and placed a very soft kiss on her skin. She let out another sigh, this one just a bit louder. "I don't want to watch anything, Sam," he answered. "I just want to be with you." His hands trailed up and down her body, just along the sides, so light, so soft. Her eyes fluttered close. His fingers pulled her socks down and then his head went down, kissing each leg, starting from the bottom, going no higher than the shins. She let out yet another sigh, this one sounding slightly happy. "Just you…" Her stomach, just a few quick kisses there. A draw in of breath from her...And then, he tore her fingerless gloves off of her, his intention all along, and it was too late to realize what he was looking for when he found it. And there it was, the angry mark, marring the perfect, white skin. The moment was gone instantly, any feelings of passion dashed away, now replaced with fear, sadness, confusion. "It was true," he whispered. She felt shame course through her. "Oh Sam…why did you do such a terrible thing to yourself? Why?"

Here mouth opened and closed, yet nothing but air came out. No comprehensible words were produced. She pulled away from him, her eyes tearing up, unable to cope with it. "I…I did it because…I…" Her breathing was in large gulps. Was it possible for her to hyperventilate? "I…I c-can't…I just can't…handle it anymore…"

"And that's when I step in, when you can't handle anything. I didn't mean to overreact, but I'm over it." He cradled her small form against his chest, wonderful protection, wonderfully caring. "I'm here for you Sam. If something's too hard to take on, I'm supposed to come in and take care of it for you. That's what a friend is for, and I can assure you that Tucker would also do anything in his power to stop you from hurting." He held the sullied wrist, his gaze still soft. "This…this isn't the answer, no matter what you feel like. This is too destructive. This is horrible." He grabbed both of her hands, made her look him in the eyes, and yet again twilight met the skies, yet this time the skies had cleared, clarity so much more, and she was lost in his gaze. "Promise me…" The skies clouded again and outside, as if to accentuate the importance, there was a low rumble of thunder. "Promise me that you won't do this again. Never…"

"Never," she whispered. Her gaze became determined and she nodded slightly, the nod very strong. "Never. I'll never do it again. Promise. I swear…" He hugged her tightly. "But…you promise to help me, right?" She buried her head into him. "He's just…so strong. At first, I thought they were dreams, but then it came more and more, and then I woke up with bruises around my neck one time. They were from his hands, I was so sure of it. He says he loved me, but he hurts me when I don't do what he wants me to." Danny's grip didn't get any tighter and she was grateful that he was staying so calm. He was nothing like Shade. She needed to remember that and hold it close to her heart for dark times ahead. "How do I get rid of someone who wants me like that and rules my dreams?" Her hands gripped the material of his t-shirt, clenching so hard. "What does stop you from going mad? What stops you from wanting to just die?"

"I kill him."

* * *

It was after almost an hour of silence that they began to move and talk, light conversation to hide the tension, but thankfully that tension was fast fading. And even though Sam didn't say much, Danny didn't really care, because he would bring up small incidents that happened a long time ago: Sam trying to save the frogs, Danny challenging Dash to who could make the best haunted house, Tucker conquering his fear of the doctor's, all of this to comfort Sam.

Pictures…they went through a shoebox full of them. Every picture included at least two or three of them in it. They were most smiling in every one. Some were actually failed attempts to block the camera from capturing embarrassment. There were a few where they were asleep, but all of it was such happiness. Sam had gotten so many pictures of Danny and Tucker: the two locked in a fierce round of Halo 2, Danny grinning at the camera and holding a distressed Tucker in a headlock, Tucker pulling a prank on Danny, Danny and Tucker hugging each other in their sleep (her favorite blackmail picture to date). There were more: all three of them at a dance or two, shots of them swimming, gorging on pizza, a game of poker, and the favorite pose where each of them did something ridiculous. She had kept them all, all through the years and saved them for times like these, when she felt like going through them, just to have a laugh, to remember for the sake of remembering, one of the last defenses before all of them might break, the hope that made them want to pull through.

"I can't believe that you wore Tucker's hat," Danny laughed.

"I wasn't exactly wearing it," she replied. "If you look a little closer, you can see that he's shoving it on me."

She smiled and fell back on the pillow, her eyes half closed. She tried to hold a yawn, but it escaped anyways, a small O. Her eyes opened and closed, but he could see there was a slight worry in what part of her was awake. He lay beside her, his head propped up with his hand, and he stroked her hair, his way of letting her know that he was there to comfort her when she woke up, that everything would be okay. There was still worry in her eyes, but just a bit of faith.

"If you're going to win, you need energy and that involves sleeping." He pulled her closer to him and she snuggled up against his body, enjoying the last bit of warmth she would experience before falling into the shadow world that haunted her. Each time she blinked, reality became hazier, darker, more impending. She hung onto his shirt as if it were the most important thing to her, and maybe it was, for it was part of Danny and he promised to protect her. "Do you want me to come with you again?" She shook her head quickly. His brow furrowed slightly. "Why not?"

She could barely get the words out she was so tired. "I don't want you getting hurt right now. I just want you to be here when I wake up." He nodded, disappointed, but he would do as he was told. Sam was his everything. "Thank you."

Her world became hazy, shores of black sleep creeping closer and closer.

Open.

Close.

Open.

Close.

And then it came. He held her, praying that she would wake up sane.

Outside, lightening flared and thunder rolled. The rain came down.

Crimson was the color of a drop that hit the window pane, and slowly slid down, but it was lost to Danny. Everything was lost to him, for his whole world was just out of his reach, sleeping soundly, lost in the shadows.

* * *

"_A toast, my dear." A table was laid out before her, an amazing feast, and there he was, dressed as a nobleman. He was donned with a magnificent white shirt, lace spilling around his hands. A black coat, tailored to fit him, was over it. There was a ring on his right hand, antique, and was a shining green, the green to match his eyes. His hair was pulled over to the side, the nobleman's look enhanced. A length of black silk was tied around his neck, an emerald S on it. He gave a confident smile, raising his champagne glass high. "I must say you're looking quite beautiful tonight." _

_She looked to her left, and saw her image in the mirror. It was a long dress of black and purple silk, with a tight fitting, strapless top, and flared out at the waist. Her hair was curled, softly framing her face, some of it held back with a purple bow. There was a matching purple necklace with a large locket on it. _

_She looked back to him, to see that he was still smiling, holding his glass high. She grabbed her own, bringing it up. _

"_I hide in the shadows of lies, of self doubt and darkness," she said softly. Her eyes widened slightly. Where did that come from? Why did she say that? _

"_Yet seeing her gives me never ending bliss," he replied, speaking right by her ear, suddenly at her side. His glass clinked lightly with hers, a small chime, and bubbles rising from bottom to top in the smooth liquid. His breath was warm and inviting, lips touching to her cheek. Why was it that everything seemed so peaceful, so romantic? Where was the violence in all of this, the violence that up until now had been the main point of her nightmares. This was…not frightening, even pleasant. Why? "Oh kitty," he whispered, "all your questions will be answered if you let me show my love." Her chair was gone and she was now standing. Music was softly playing, a mournful tune that made her feel like weeping, yet it was still beautiful. There was a tap on her shoulder and she turned around to see that he was standing slightly bowed, left arm behind his back, right held out in offering. There was a slight smile on his face, a knowing sense about him. "Would you honor me with a dance?"_

_She took a breath in, lightly so, and then nodded. She lightly placed her hand in his and he led her to a dance floor, bright and lonely. His hand on her wais, hers on his shoulder, and the remaining for each of them intertwined with each other. And then, they were moving around on the floor in large, flowing circles, both moving like water, their bodies fitting perfectly together. He was strong, but gentle, leading the way, and she was lost in his arms, lost in all of him. _

_On and on they danced, and she lost track of time. Everything was irrelevant at the moment, save for the moment itself. Past, future, any rational thinking was gone, far, far away, just like reality was, just like Danny was. She was here, in this now, in this dream, dancing with this man who had done horrible things to her, said horrible things to her, and she was still dancing with him. She was not afraid, not terrified, not angry, just intrigued. For all the nightmares, for everything that happened, she was still intrigued by this man called Shade, one who would not take his own form, but took that of his creator's, the one he had once been part of, a darkness that lay within. For some reason, she was drawn to him, her soul reaching out to him. _

_The music's tempo became livelier, and their steps became faster. He looked into her eyes and she did not see the shell of Danny Phantom anymore in his eyes. They were his own; an amazing dark green, brilliant gold flecks held within their depths. She saw the intelligence, the stubbornness, the determination, the strength, the obsession held within those eyes. It was a completely different person and she now realized that, but then she remembered that he had once been a part of Danny, the dark desires, the deeps sins, the side that was never supposed to be, but was actual. _

_The music went on and they danced, never tiring. Round and round the floor they went and there was no end in sight. Everything around the room seemed to become one continual blur. Time came to a halt, only their steps and the music moving on. And even as that happened, Sam became unaware of those two things, and was then lost in his eyes. _

"_My Sam," he whispered hotly. "Let me be with you for once. None of this violent shit." The music was gone, the twirling round and round replaced with standing still. His mouth inches from her skin, drinking in her scent, sending Goosebumps down her arms. She gulped down the lump forming in her throat. Tears pricked at her eyes because of the decision she knew she'd make. "Be with me one time and I'll show you what I really am." He held her hands in his. Why was this so hard? How could she deny him when he had confessed that he loved her? She knew he did even though he was violent, possessive, and very obsessive. She knew that he was dangerous but her soul called out to him. What was this ache she felt deep in her heart? "And if you still hate me, I'll disappear. I can't be without you. It's as simple as that." _

_Her breathing stopped and the ache in her heart doubled. She knew how to kill him. She knew that she could be rid of him, no more wanting to hurt herself, no sleepless nights, could return everything to normal. She could be at peace. All she had to do was give her self to him once, just once. _

_She knew that wouldn't happen. _

_As she nodded her head and found herself on the bed that magically appeared, she knew that couldn't happen. _

_He kissed her softly, pouring himself into it, and she gave herself to him. She pulled him to her and he embraced her. The soft kisses gave way to soft touches, and then gave way to a harder kiss that left them both breathless. The soft touches became desperate tugs and pulls at clothing, ripping them off, but it didn't matter anymore because they would never wear them again anyways. Such passion that had been held back was now out. Sam had resisted because she had thought him a rapist, an evil creature, but the more she met him, the more it was increasingly clear that there was no black and white, only gray. The more she met him the more she realized that he wasn't so easy to deny. And now, there was no resistance. Both were giving themselves completely in both body and soul. It would be no other way. _

_And that was why she knew she couldn't kill him._

_Sam Manson was falling in love._

_It may have been sick and twisted, but she was falling in love._

_She may have been full of sin, but at the moment, she was one of the happiest lambs in the world, her soul satisfied, not wandering or crying anymore. She became one with him and was changed, the ache in her heart lessening. And after it was all done, she lay there in his arms, slightly damp, breathing heavily. She felt his warmth, his fingers lightly running up and down her skin, and she realized that she was truly falling in love._

_She was falling in love with someone who wasn't Danny. _

_There was no way to stop it. She didn't want it to.

* * *

_

In the darkness of the room, there came a light, suddenly, brilliantly. He turned his head to see that her computer had, without warning, come to life. As he studied it, he realized that words were appearing on the screen, even though the keyboard wasn't being used and he or Sam clearly had never turned on the computer. Slowly, he made his way over until he could read the blinding screen.

As the words registered in his mind, he became confused and angry.

The object of my affection 

This was so familiar, so horribly familiar. He didn't want to see this, to read it, but he had to. He knew this was important and it was already tearing him apart.

_is the object of my obsession._

There was a sinking in the pit of his stomach. Something had happened or was happening, something that was very important and he might have lost it without even knowing what it was. Did it have something to do with Sam? Of course, it had to. It was almost as if everything was revolving around her, so did that mean he might have actually lost her? Quickly turning around, he let out a sigh of relief when he saw her chest fall and rise in a slow rhythm, the rhythm of sleep. For a split second, he had the most horrible thought that she might have left her body. But still, he still had the feeling of loss. What was it then? It was such a heart wrenching feeling that it felt as if tears could easily come to his eyes.

_She looks at me, but doesn't see my eyes._

It was all starting to make sense. It was almost like they had been given such an obvious answer, but they were still too stupid to see it. He had been so fucking stupid! Why? Why had he been blind? And now, even though he saw it all, he felt it was too late. Whatever he had lost, it might never come back.

_I hide in the shadows of lies,_

Shadows of lies…did that mean that Shade had been part of all those lies Danny had told in the past? How was it that Shade took a physical form? How could he be defeated? Could he even be taken down?

_of self-doubt and darkness._

The words were coming up by themselves. How was he doing this?

_Yet seeing her gives me never ending bliss._

Fuck that bastard! Fuck that bastard! He was going to die and that was all there was to it!

He placed his hands on the keyboard and typed furiously: _Who the hell do you think you are!_

The reply: _I am your sin, your desires, everything that you rejected, a darkness that you didn't want. But now, I am my own, with my thoughts, my feelings, my obsessions. You will lose her Danny Fenton. I love her. She is what I live for and always will._

_You're a sick son-of-a-bitch. She doesn't want you. She wants to get rid of you because she's going fucking crazy. _He was furious, his hands pounding at the keyboard. He wanted to destroy the computer. Did he also annoy Sam in this manner? Did he talk to her all the time? Did she talk back to him? What did they talk about? Those dreams she had been having…what had she been doing with him all along? How the hell had this all started and when the hell would it stop?

_We shall see within the next few days, Danny Fenton, we shall see._

_I'm gonna fucking kill you!_

_Goodbye._

And the computer screen went blank.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Author's Notes: Okay, just kick me right now. I deserve it for not updating so long. I tried my best, so I hope this chapter made up for all the time in between. It's tournament time, so I've been ridiculously busy with basketball. There's a chance to go to state! Oh yeah! Just keep your fingers crossed for us to make it! And there's prom coming and speech and all kinds of things! In the meantime, I'll try my best to hurry and put out another chapter. However, we all know that lots and lots of reviews would make me type even faster! Any questions should be sent as a PM and I don't mind any criticism if you have any. However, I looovveee reviews! Okay, I'll stop my rambling now. Reviews! Till next time. Ciao. 


	8. Mirror Image

_

* * *

_

_Part One: Dark Eyes

* * *

_

_Chapter Eight: Mirror Image

* * *

_

She slowly sat up and looked around, the world of sleep still at the edges of her vision. The rain was still coming down, a steady drizzle. Thunder sounded off in the distance every so often, but each time it came a little bit closer. It was dark in her room and as the sleep cleared away from her, she saw that she was alone. Confused, she sat up and then got off her bed, feet silently padding along the floor. Lightning came, a few moments later accompanied by thunder, and the sound was so loud that it seemed to shake the house. She fell to the floor at the sudden motion.

"Danny?" she whispered. Lightning. Thunder. The house shook even more violently and she didn't move up from the floor. The storm was amazing and she wanted more than anything to step outside and witness its power; however, she wanted to find Danny something terrible. "Danny? Where are you?" The rain was coming down harder now. It was becoming a storm that would most likely flood the city and those who lived on the lower end would probably have their homes destroyed. "Danny."

Not a word…not a hint that anyone else was with her. Did he just leave her without saying goodbye? Hadn't he made a promise? Disappointment flooded through her, but she didn't let it rule her. Instead of pouting and doing nothing, she got up and headed downstairs, first changing into a soft, black dress that swirled around her knees, modest and tasteful. She stopped every so often when the thunder threatened to shake down her very house. It didn't scare her when that happened, but it always amazed her. She loved violent rainstorms. She loved most any rainstorms. It always amazed her what nature could do, to see that in so short of a time, it could ruin something that man had worked hard to build.

She made it to the living room. Her heart soared. There was Danny, sitting on the couch, watching a movie. She smiled softly and silently padded over to him, her bare feet treading lightly on the carpet. His eyes flicked over to where she was, but then went back to the TV, a slight grin coming to his face. She fell onto the couch and tumbled into his lap, her hair spilling onto his jeans, and she looked up at him, a beautiful, dark angel. He looked down at her and raised an eyebrow in question. Her smile widened to show her teeth and she suddenly found a pillow smothering her.

"H-hey!" she exclaimed. The pillow was flung off and she let out a huff. He affectionately ran his fingers through her hair. Her hands stopped his, and her large, amethyst eyes looked up into his blue eyes. Her gaze was soft and only described the love and warmth she felt for him. She was confused. His expression was unreadable, his blue eyes revealing nothing more then what seemed sleepy boredom. Her smile faltered, but she caressed his hands with her fingers, reassuring. "Something the matter?" He shook his head and gently cupped her face in his hands. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. She slipped her hands under his shirt and rubbed her hands across his stomach and chest. He grabbed her wrists, immediately stopping her. "Danny…really…what's wrong?"

He swallowed, to rid himself of the extra moisture in his mouth. "I just had an interesting conversation with someone." She sat up and cocked her head to the side…genuine curiosity. He sighed. "It was over the computer." Her brow furrowed in obvious confusion. He curled his hand up into a fist and hid it at his side so that she wouldn't see his anger, his frustration. A deep breath and he stared at her. "It was with Shade." Her eyes widened and she fell back. Her breathing came out somewhat ragged, as if she were cowering in fear. He leaned towards her and grabbed her arms. She flinched. He ignored it. "He gave me a poem." Her bottom lip trembled. She didn't need to hear this, not now. She wouldn't be able to handle it because he was just bringing her from a broken state. She was still fragile. He saw the fear in her eyes. He smiled in a sort of ironic way. "He said that he's my sin, desires, and a darkness that I rejected, but he's taken a life of his own. He's got his own mind…so he's not me." There were tears in her eyes. One came loose and he kissed it away. "It's okay Sam…I swore to protect you." He kissed her again, fully on the lips. "You believe me, don't you?"

She nodded, guilt running through her. "I believe you," she whispered. She curled up into a little ball and snuggled close to him. He was warm, so warm, her protector, but he didn't know that he couldn't protect her from one thing: her emotions. They betrayed her so. It was her emotions that had led her down a dark path she could probably never leave, and didn't want to leave. It was her emotions that allowed her to lay with Shade and realize that she did that because of what she felt for him, what he felt for her. "I love you Danny." She did, she really did. The only problem was…she also loved Shade. "Do you love me?"

"I love you too, Sam. I love you more than anything in this world." He kissed the top of her head and settled down into the couch. Again, he ran his fingers through her hair. Time passed by, the ticking of a clock letting them know that there still was a thing called time. If not for that, they would have probably lost that sense. Whenever together, they never really noticed anything else. They became lost to the world around them. "…What did you dream about?"

The moment was lost and she was hurled back to reality. Could she tell him anything?

_He fell beside her, both of them tangled in the sheets. They were covered in sweat, but they didn't care. He turned over so that he was facing her. She looked at him. He reached for her. She didn't flinch. He kissed her and she kissed him back. They both smiled at each other. _

"_Sam," he said, "my beautiful Sam. I love you." _

"_I love you too, Shade." _

_He propped himself up on the pillow so that the sheets fell to his waist, showing off his gorgeous body. Her hand reached out and rested on his chest. Strangely, he wasn't ghostly cold, not like she had expected him to be. In all actuality, he was warm, very warm. In fact, it was the kind of warmth that had been missing from her life. She had found it. Well, maybe it had found her. For once in her life she was truly content. There were no worries or thoughts in her head like: what would Danny do if he found out; did I make the right choice, who is this man, and why? _

"_You realize that by saying that I won't go away, right?" he asked. _

_She nodded slowly, but hesitantly. After all, for what she knew, she could have released something evil into her life. At first Shade had been a horror in her dreams, because she didn't necessarily understand the desire and want within him, but now she did, and there was nothing she could do about it. She had finally accepted it, even embraced it, and now there was no conflict within her about him. _

_He lifted his head up, as if hearing something. With a sad smile, he looked down at his wrist, as if there was a watch there. "Uh-oh Kitty…I'm afraid it's time for you to go home. He's worrying about you." Once more he kissed her, long and slow, as if he was savoring every last bit of her. "Time to wake up…Don't have too much fun without me." _

That's when she had sat up in bed and went looking for Danny. And now, sitting on the couch, she became shocked. She had thought of another man who wasn't Danny. How had this happened? When had she crossed the line from being a decent person to becoming the equivalent of an adulteress? When had the areas of black and white become so gray that she could barely tell what was what? After all, she had sex before marriage, but did it count because she had been asleep in some dream world? Did it count that she was cheating on Danny? Did Shade count? Was he anything or just a strong part of her imagination? How could it be that she had fallen for someone that could only fight for her affections in the confines of her mind? Was it even right for her to want him when he wasn't even in the real world?

"I dreamt I was falling into something I'm afraid I can't get out of." She was telling the truth, just…not all of it. "But I don't want to talk about that right now. I just want to be with you."

He lovingly ruffled her hair and grinned. "That sounds good to me." He turned the TV on and flipped through the channels, the strange imprint in his DNA controlling him. It was impossible for him to stay at one channel for more then a few minutes. At least, that was until he would find some viewing pleasure that could capture his attention. He stopped at SciFi, softly placing the remote control on the edge of the couch. Of course it was stupid: Ghost Hunters. "I wonder if I should have them come here. That might be fun."

"That might be disastrous," she countered.

"But it would end with a powerful life long lesson and that would be the end of it all."

"True, true."

They let it stop there, and cuddled together on the couch, relishing in the close contact they provided for each other.

It still rained outside.

* * *

Tucker Foley sat on his video game chair. For the fifth time, he played We Love Katamari, and for the fifth time he wondered how much more fun it would be to play the game if he was stoned. With the adorable little alien rolling the items on the screen into a giant ball, and the crazy and wacky colors and sounds, he once again realized that he was indeed a step smarter than this game, but at a steal for only twenty bucks, he was smarter than his wallet, too.

He looked over to the phone that sat on a table beside his bed. The little screen glowed steady, neon blue, with little black words that said charging. He walked over to the phone and picked it up. His thumb rolled over the numbers, and he frowned. He was actually really indecisive about a girl. Normally, he didn't really care and always asked them out after saying, "Hi. I'm Tucker Foley." And then, they'd usually reject him, the reason partially being he had street credibility worse than a pile of dirt.

Damn that dirt!

His fingers started pressing buttons, and before he knew it, Valerie's number sat on the screen, sitting, waiting…watching. And before he really knew what was happening, he had pressed the "Talk" button and that little ringing sound to indicate you had been connected was blaring through the phone. He almost dropped the thing right then and there, but he couldn't, because Valerie had picked up on the third ring.

God damn it!

"Hello?" Her voice was soft, low, like the kind he'd love to hear over phone se—a meaningful conversation! "Hello? Who is this?"

"Tucker!" His puberty decided to show up suddenly and his voice went from a deep sound to the cracking, high pitch he always hated. He coughed once to clear his throat and cursed his un-manliness. "It's Tucker."

There was a pause, as if she had stopped breathing and then, "Tucker…I'm really glad you called." He rolled his eyes. If she was glad then he should get laid at the dance. Come on. Why the hell would he believe that crap? She was a beautiful, gorgeous, curvy girl, and he was a…lanky (nope)…um…smart (he wished)…caring (if he truly cared he wouldn't hit on everything female)…just…forget it. She was amazing and he was nothing. He was a dork, a dweeb, total nerd that didn't even have good grades and she was smart, athletic, and sexy. He never had a chance. Why did he think he did? "Really, Tucker, I've tried calling you all night, but I just got so…embarrassed." She laughed on the last word, as if the idea of her not going through with something was funny. Shit. He wished he had her guts. "But, um, did you need something?"

"Huh?" Damn it! He smacked his forehead, wincing. He was a class A idiot, mucho idiot, number one idiot, and the biggest idiot of all time. Shit! Shit! Shit! "Well, I sort of called you to just…you know…talk." Oh no, he was squirming. He was squirming! What the hell was he supposed to do in the event that he started to squirm or fidget? "I was wondering how life was treating you. It's really boring here. I've been playing mindless video games nonstop and I knew that if I didn't have any human contact soon, I'd lose my sanity."

"Then why didn't you just call Danny or Sam?" She wasn't being rude. She was just being honest. Hey! He figured that out!

"I sort of wanted to talk to you more. I figured you'd be a way better talker. Danny's being…mean, and Sam's having…issues. Besides, they're not really phone people around me. And anyways, I've…I've been thinking about you lately. I've just been wondering what you're doing. I mean, I know almost nothing about you…" He smashed his hands into his lap. He had been twiddling his thumbs! Twiddling! What the hell was wrong with him that he could barely talk to a member of the opposite sex?

"Tucker," she whispered, as if she were truly touched. "Well...I got a new job at the McDonald's they put in over on Crescent Avenue. I'm in the kitchen, but at least I won't get harassed by little kids. Did you know they're paying me eight dollars an hour? Tucker, it's amazing. I'm making so much more money than I used to, but of course, I smell like fast food all the time. I doubt anyone likes that."

"On the contrary, I love the smell of burgers and fries. You forget, I'm a meat lover and about two-thirds of my diet involves eating out. I bet you smell wonderful." Smell wonderful? Okay, that was about one of the worst compliments in the history of all his conversations, and he had indeed come up with some bad ones in his past. "I don't mean that, you see I was trying, I just—"

"Tucker," she interrupted. She gave a low chuckle. "It's okay. It's good to know that fast food can turn someone on. It means I still have hope."

"You're kidding me." It wasn't a question. It was a demand.

"Yes Tucker," she sighed, "I'm kidding." She laughed again and it was like music to his ears. Dark colored angels had nothing on her. She was better than an angel. She…was a goddess. Her laughter died. "So, um, what are you doing right now?"

"Nothing!" Damn puberty too. "What are you doing?"

"Not much." A pause. "So, what games do you like to play?"

Ooohhhh, that's why she was asking what he was doing. Maybe Tucker Foley wasn't as dumb as everyone thought he was. "I play quite a bit." He could feel this coolness come over him. Now he was one, smooth, player. "You know, I bet we could find something to play if you came over. I know of some really fun ones that you'd probably enjoy."

"Yeah I'd lov—I mean, I guess that would be cool."

Score! Score! Score! Foley was so scoring.

"Okay," he said. "Meet you twenty?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Ok."

"K."

"Bye."

"See ya."

He turned the phone off and set it back into its little black, plastic base so that it could charge. After doing that, he just stood in the middle of his room. He was afraid if he moved something terrible would happen. That couldn't be possible, because he had something totally awesome that had happened to him. For crying out loud, Valerie was coming over! Oh yeah! He was so happy that he started to jump around, trying to get rid of the sudden adrenaline rush that flowed throughout his body. He would have give a few triumphant shouts as well, but he was worried that his parents would hear and that would mean they would come up and spoil his little happy, happy moment.

Wait.

Valerie was coming. Oh no. She was coming, and his room was one of the biggest horrors known to mankind. He kicked over a piece of clothing that revealed something green, black and (pink?) peachy on a paper plate. He thought it might have been pizza at one time, but he didn't want to make any assumptions. All he knew that it had been around since at least that one time he had locked himself in his room to play Final Fantasy X for about the millionth time and beat every single thing that could be beaten. He didn't finish it during his campaign but he had spent three out of his four days off of school trying really hard to do so, and ended up with a mild case of carpal tunnel. But wait! Back to the subject, Valerie was coming and he had less than twenty minutes to clean his room and make it seem cool and trendy.

God damn it!

* * *

Danny had fallen asleep almost an hour ago. His posture had relaxed, his breathing slowed, and the movements of his hands softly stroking her hair had dropped off. Sam had been able to maneuver herself so that she had taken the remote from him without disturbing him and now had control over the T.V. She flipped through some boring shows and knew once again that there wasn't a single thing on. Hold that thought…There was an episode of Fastlane on. It was one of the few shows she enjoyed and she never let anyone know that she enjoyed watching it. If Tucker and Danny knew, they wouldn't let her hear the end of it, but since no one else in the room was awake…She settled herself back down into the couch to enjoy the show.

Time passed, slowly but surely; luckily the show was making the passing time more enjoyable. She felt the calmness of sleep wash over her. Her eyes began to close at the point where Van had a gun pointed at his crotch. Damn he was hot…

"_Sam…"_

Her body gave a jolt and she sat straight up, looking at the screen. It was a commercial. That was strange though. She could have sworn she was still far enough awake that he wouldn't try to talk to her.

"_Hey Sam."_ It came from the T.V. The picture began to blur. Normally, she would have been afraid, but now she wasn't. In fact, she felt sort of, excited, as if she was holding one of her many protests. _"How you doing?"_

"Good," she whispered. "You?"

His face appeared, sort of blurry, but it was definitely recognizable, especially the green eyes. _"I'm fine. I miss you."_

"Miss you too."

"_I have something to say."_

She swallowed nervously. "What's that?" Her heart began to pound against her chest furiously, as if it would break free and she would be left in her living room and Danny wouldn't know until he woke up with her as a corpse. She had to shift her weight a little. Danny moaned softly and turned a little. Now her heart was really pounding. She was quite sure that she might have a massive heart attack. "Why can't it wait until I fall asleep again?"

"_I'm coming…"_

"What does that mean?"

"_I'm coming…"_

"Shade!" she hollered, and then she quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late. Danny's eyes popped open.

"What the fuck is that?" he yelled as he sat up and pointed at the T.V. screen. Shade just gave a trademark sexy sly grin, only further infuriating the blue-eyed youth. "Shade…I should have known you'd harass us some other way, you prick."

"_Danny, Danny, you won't be so cocky much longer."_

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked indignantly.

"_Just wait and see…"_

The screen went completely blank. Danny stared at the screen, trying to muster a few words of disbelief, but his astonishment was so great that he was left completely speechless. Sam's eyes stayed wide with surprise, and she found herself questioning whether or not that she was still dreaming or if what had happened was a sign; a very, very bad sign. Or would that be an omen? Either way, she had a feeling that something was going to happen, something big, and that she and Danny and Shade would be in the thick of it. Danny looked to her, not angry, but confused, just as confused as she was.

"Again," he said, finally finding some words, "what the fuck is that?"

* * *

_End Chapter

* * *

_

Author's Notes: God, how long has it been since I updated? I can barely remember and I'm so sorry I took so long. I had the worst case of writer's block since one of my old, deleted stories. I knew where I wanted to head, but I had no idea how to write two-thirds of it. Please tell me if you hate it or not. I'd love to have some reviews either way, and you give a signed one that's long enough, I just might reply with a little spoiler! As always, criticism and praise is always wanted, needed, and greatly appreciated. Questions I ask to be sent in the form of a PM and is there anything else? Oh yeah, summer's going to be ridiculously busy so beat me now. Until next time, and don't forget my reviews because I love them sooo much! Ciao.


	9. Broken Awakening

_

* * *

_

Part One: Dark Eyes

* * *

_Chapter Nine: Broken Awakening

* * *

It had finally come. After what could have passed for a large portion of eternity, the weekend finally came with the arrival of the long anticipated Halloween Extravaganza, with no more strange incidents. It was one of the few times that the dress code was no longer recognized and everyone took the chance to break it, meaning that every girl in the school dressed as if they were trying to pose for the cover of playboy with animal ears or something else that was deemed "cute." But of course, Sam didn't roll that way, although she had no problem showing some skin or her figure._

The dress was black and looked to be made of silk. It's low cut, halter-top design showed off her…assets…to their advantage. The dress hugged to her form, tied tightly with a dark purple sash that fell to the floor with the rest of the dress that flared out in softly swirling folds before touching just above her toes. She was forced to wear a pear of high heals, lest she wished to trip and embarrass herself in front of the entire school, which was not an option tonight. She wanted to impress, she wanted astonish, and she wanted to take the light right out of that little bitch's eyes, Paulina. Maybe with this dress, she'd do exactly what she wanted to. Then what would Danny say at this ditching of the Goth image and taking on a more seductive one that was still mysterious but not along the road of being a slut. She wasn't cute, but she was sexy, plain and simple.

She stood in front of the mirror now. Her hands slid down on both sides of her body from her underarms to about two inches below her hips. She let them fall limp and she pouted. For some reason, she jest wanted someone to tell her she was attractive right now, at this very moment. She wanted someone to hold her and say that she was beautiful; for some reason, she was feeling very insecure at the moment. She almost needed an ego boost at the moment. She was always one that prided herself on never being a vain person. She had always felt personality counted, but now, when someone was looking at her, saying they loved her, she wanted to be beautiful. She wanted them to say she was beautiful.

"Oh Sam, you're gorgeous," a deep, warm voice said behind her. He appeared almost as if from thin air, placing his arms around her, cradling her from behind. He stared at the image of both of them in the mirror. He was dressed in suit to match her outfit. It looked as if they were a perfect pair, and it felt like they were made for each other as well when he pressed up against her like that. He gave his trademark sexy sly grin. "Hello, my kitty. How have you been?" She couldn't help but smile as he softly kissed her cheek. "I told you I was coming, didn't I?"

Her expression softened. Her twilight eyes peered into his forest orbs. They blended into each other, like the setting sun blending into the woods, where it was beautifully eerie and was always picturesque. They were perfect like that, if for nothing else. "You did. My God, Shade, you did." She turned around so that she could face him and see his expression. She grabbed the back of his head, her finger twining into his hair and she pulled him down for a kiss. It was long, slow, sensuous, and sweet. It was caring. They broke apart and she looked at him. He looked at her, cocking his head to the side, instantly becoming adorable, but then his pleasant face changed to annoyance when she pinched him. "I'm just testing." She pinched herself, felt the slight pain, and shrugged. "Guess I'm not dreaming."

He gave a low chuckle and placed his forehead on hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she lightly placed her hands on the bend of his elbows. "Of course you aren't. I told you I was coming. I told you." His eyes were amazing in the low lighting, the gold flecks in them outstanding. She was finding that she lost herself in those blazing orbs momentarily, and he realized it. A soft smile graced his features. "My kitty, oh how you've changed." There was something in him, something that made his face less hard, cold, into something that was more pleasant, less ethereal. He seemed almost normal, except for the striking green eyes and thick, snow-white hair; but now it was as if he was no longer a dream and now a man. He was a real person to fight for her affections, something she had wanted for so long. He was someone who openly shared his affections.

There was a sudden sound, the ringing of a doorbell. She abruptly turned her head at the sound, looking to the closed door. Suddenly, there was a whisper on the air; she turned back and saw that he had disappeared. She looked down at her hands and saw the faint traces of a mist. A quiet laughter filled her ears and she saw the faintest glimpse of him as he disappeared through the wall. Warmth filled her at the last sighting of him, but then the urgent knocking on the door broke her from her warmth and a fearful iciness went to her bones.

"Sam? Sam!" It was Danny, obviously, and he sounded urgent. "Could you open up? I just caught a whiff of a ghost. Sam? Please, let me in!" He kept pounding on the door. She just stood there, unable to answer. Her body was rigid, as if all her joints were locked into place. "I'm coming in!" It sounded as if there was a whoosh of air and he came flying through the doorway, a white outline that seemed to mist with any solid object that came into contact with him. He saw her and the relief washed over his face as he landed in the foyer. His body became solid again, the green disappearing from his eyes and his original sky blue eyes took their place. "You didn't answer me. I was so worried. Next time you shou—" He stopped in mid sentence as he finally took her attire in. The blush rose from his neck to the top of his head and he averted his gaze. "Sam…Wow. You look…amazing; like a goddess." He closed the distance between them and held out a rose that looked as black as night with just a tint of the darkest red at the edges of the petals. "For you."

"Oh Danny," she breathed as she gingerly took the rose from his hand. "You didn't need to do this. Having you with me was enough."

"But I wanted to do it," he replied. He gently took her over to the wall so that her back was pressed up against it and he pushed himself up against her body, treating her as if she were made of glass. "I love you and I wanted to show my love with a simple…rose." The last word came out as a sigh for him as he leaned down so that his lips were just touching hers. The gasp from him leaped down her throat and into her stomach where it seemed to start her body on fire, and she couldn't take it. The rose fell to the ground, completely forgotten as she closed the last centimeter between them and crushed herself against him. He responded with a ferocity she didn't think possible and became liquid in his arms. His hands held her tenderly, as if he were holding back, not breaking free. He reluctantly broke away from her, giving a frustrated moan. "God dammit, Sam!" He looked away, as if he were ashamed. "I…I don't want to hurt you."

"Danny, listen to me," she ordered, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her. Amethyst met sapphire, each one complementing the other. They were two opposing forces, each equally willful, meeting in a clash of sparks. Maybe that's why they were perfect for each other, as if they might be soul mates. "You can't hurt me, okay? I don't want you to ever hold back on me."

He took it as an acceptable answer and kissed her again, one arm circling around her as he tried to find a spot to sit her on with his free arm. There was a crashing sound as he accidentally knocked a vase on a small table over. He lifted her up so that she could sit on the table while his mouth left hers and he devoted more attention to the rest of her exposed skin. She ripped his shirt out of his pants and her hands roamed up and down on his chest, admiring the beginning muscles that were forming from his routine workouts. He was at the "awkward" phase between being a young man and a man. However, she had a feeling that his transition was going over fine and she liked the gangly form with the pent up energy he possessed. He showed potential and she knew in the future he'd truly be noteworthy, if he weren't already.

They were losing themselves. All that was becoming known was the feel of flesh, the fragrant scent of another, the way a body fit, moans and groans, soft lips, and many more. Sam's world was becoming hazy, her eyes opening and closing. Every time she was able to focus, all she caught were glimpses of Danny's head, or his expression of bliss, or just the a bit of deep blue from his eyes that were half lidded.

It was then the song from Kingdom Hearts broke through her haziness. He had stopped and was looking straight at her, blushing as if he had been caught peeking in on the girls' locker room. He fumbled for the cell phone located in his pockets and pulled the offending thing out and flipping it open.

"Hello?" There was a slight pause, but judging from the look on his face, he was irritated by whoever was at the other end. "Of course I'm picking her up." There was yet another pause. He blushed. "No, it's just I got a little…caught up." She knew it was Tucker, especially by the way she heard a small scream that sounded much like "Score!" She should have known better. "Why, you little bastard." Another pause. "That's it! I am making sure you will never have children." Pause. "Yeah, and I'll make sure the children call you stumpy too, dumbass. I swear to God Tucker, you are one of the most annoying people I know." There was another pause, this one slightly longer. "Just tonight, but if you cross paths with me, I'll make sure to embarrass you in front of Valerie." She could have sworn she heard a desperate "No!" come from the phone. He laughed. "Go have some fun, Tuck. It'll be the last." He shut the phone, smiling, turning his attention back to Sam. "Now, where were we?"

* * *

"That boy obviously has some anger issues," Tucker commented as he put his phone away. Valerie squeezed his arm reassuringly. He ran a hand through his hair that wasn't covered by the hat and it actually looked decent. People were turning heads to see his hair and nodding in approval. It was remarkable that one change could cause such a stir. "Well, I guess we should go and make the best of this night, because it'll probably be my last."

She gave a throaty chuckle. "Well I intend to make it a memorable one." He blushed at the comment. She was so beautiful tonight, garbed in a dark orange dress that stopped just above her knees. It accented her figure perfectly, bringing out a healthy glow in her skin and eyes. She also had a matching halo on her head and he had decided that she was beautiful as well as adorable. "Right now, I say we go and have ourselves some fun!" She threw her hands into the air as if it was a declaration of some kind, and he couldn't help but be merry as well. "What are we waiting for?"

What was he waiting for?

They ran up the steps and burst through the large double doors that led into the Casper High gym. The pulse pounding music assaulted them instantly, but that was perfectly fine. It was part of the experience, and coupled with the decorations, Tucker and Valerie had a strange feeling that it was going to be one of those nights that would indeed be memorable. He whipped her around so that she twirled, their arms outstretched. He had started up a little tango lately and when she had come over the other night, they had practiced until they were exhausted. Of course, that was the same night he had kissed her and confessed that he did like her.

She replied to his confession with another sweet kiss.

He had been overjoyed.

Now, they were at the biggest dance imaginable and here he was with one of the prettiest girls. He was indeed a lucky man.

The only word that came to mind for him was his simple perverted glee.

Score!

* * *

"Wow." That's all Sam could say. The lights, the sounds, the colors, the…everything. It was mass confusion, yes, but it was also a wonderful chaos one could not help but embrace. She was almost overwhelmed and clung to Danny, pressing herself into him. It didn't go unnoticed by her that he gulped at her position. She liked that power she had over him, the fact she had the ability to make him blush. She gave a challenging smile. "So, are you ready to go and cause a little destruction?" He gave a grin that matched her own. "I take that as a yes."

"Danny! Yoo hoo! Oh Danny! Over here…" They turned their heads to see a certain dark-eyed Latino escorted by a pea-brained football star. Paulina hung all over Dash, flaunting her outfit: a corset, fishnet, and rabbit ears, with the usual accessories. Oh, she was going for the classic Playboy look and succeeding. Dash was dressed like the old Hugh, with robes and slippers and a pipe, but when he blew into the pipe, bubbles came out. It was wonderfully juvenile. Paulina ignored her date for a moment and strutted to the young man with jet-black hair and striking blue eyes. She gave a dazzling smile as she hugged herself up against Danny. "Oh my!" she gasped as she felt his arms. "Danny, you've gotten stronger, haven't you?" Sam felt like emptying her stomach on her rival. "Is this why you haven't talked to me lately?" Sam was happy she wasn't holding anything. Her grip was strong enough to crush iron and it was taking all her will not to grip some part of Paulina. "You and the ghost boy have both been avoiding me. I feel spurned." She gave a mock faint, and Danny in all his Boy Scout honor, grabbed her. She heaved a sigh that showed off her ample bosom. "You are such a gentleman. I hope you are more of one tonight when we dance." It wasn't a suggestion, it was a demand, and that was the last Sam would stand for.

He saw the raven-haired beauty about to snap and stopped the show by letting go of Paulina, allowing her to stumble back a ways. The Latino gave a look of disbelief. "Sorry," he said as he grabbed hold of Sam so that she was close to him, "but I don't think my date would appreciate that. After all, I can't go making the most beautiful girl angry by dancing with another." And with that, he led Sam away from Paulina who gave an angry screech before dragging Dash off. When he led Sam into the gym, he placed a loving kiss on her forehead and shouted above the noise, "Let's forget those two and go on and dance!"

She didn't need any more prompting. She pulled him out to the dance floor where it was near to bursting with bodies that were grinding and bumping to the tune Gasolina. She turned around so that she could look into his eyes and began to sway her hips back and forth. His hands settled down on her waist as he stared back at her and he began to move with a rhythm that complemented her own, and soon enough, she was following his body's movements, allowing him to take the lead. They brushed up against each other and there was a tingle, a spark. Her hips reached out to his and it was almost as if they were melded together, their sways, their motions the exact same, matching perfectly. She turned around so that she could lean into him. His hands slid from her waist lower so that they intimately touched her thighs, rubbing softly, bringing a soft gasp from her.

The night went on that way. Every time they danced, it was in a personal manner. They stayed close, always within touching distance, some part of them kept together, whether it was a pinky, or a whole body. They couldn't move away from each other. It almost seemed that if they would, they might die. They breathed in their essences as if it were air itself, something that couldn't be lived without. Danny treated her as if she was his everything and Sam treated him like he was the only thing in her life. It was lust, it was heat, and it was also love. They had always felt that way about each other the moment they laid eyes on one another. Nothing could change that, right?

At one point, during a slow song, he placed his forehead against Sam's, his breathing shallow. "I don't think I can take this much longer," he muttered. He lifted his forehead from hers and gave her a steamy look. "We need to get out of here." He didn't give her time to agree or protest. He grabbed her hand and led her out of the dance, led her out of the gym, led her out of the chaos, and took her into the cool, night air where things were quieter. He took her outside where things were closer, where people didn't see anything. "I want to take you someplace," he whispered, and suddenly made them invisible as he used his powers to lift them off the ground and fly off. The city was enchanting this far below and Sam spread her arms out and let herself fall back as Danny held her tenderly around the waist and flew off to some secret place. "Here it is." He stopped by a pond where there sat a cherry blossom tree, the only one in Amity Park. He touched the ground and with a small popping sound, they became visible to the world. "I wanted to show you this place." His eyes gazed out over the moonlit pond, his expression blissful. "I always come out here when I'm tired and need to be alone. I like to think here."

"Thinking?" She gave a laugh, jokingly so. "Why, Danny Fenton, I never thought of you as the kind to think." Her laughter died when she saw how his eyes were, pure skies that broke through the twilight. They came and mingled, him light and her the dividing line between the light and darkness. She was a dividing line for something else as well. It was such a strange way to put it, but maybe it was the best explanation for two men in her life: Danny was light, Shade was dark, and she was the in between. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes." She didn't know how it happened, but she found herself on the ground, with him straddling her body. She felt the electricity between them intensify. It soon became a heat that she could barely stand. It made her want to rip his clothes so she could place her skin against his. She wanted him to drape across her so that he touched every part of her possible. "I want you Sam." He leaned closer, slowly kissing her. He broke it. "No, I need you." He placed fevered kisses all over her face as she slid his jacket off of him. She tried to unbutton his shirt, but her hands were shaking too much in anticipation and he had to stop a moment to help her. "I want to know every inch of you." His hands grazed along her flesh to emphasize his point. "I can't ever hold it anymore. I'm just not strong enough." His lips found her again and it was as if he was trying to take in as much of her as possible. They both felt a desperation welling up in them that tore at their souls. "I won't do anything until you give the word." He stopped his actions and sat back up. He was stunning with his shirt hanging open, and his black hair mussed. He had a sex appeal worthy of making any girl swoon. She saw the tension in him. He was trembling, every muscle in his body was trembling in an effort not to reach out and grab her. "Well?" His voice cracked. He swallowed. It was obvious he was fighting with himself. "What's your answer?"

She opened her mouth to say yes, to surrender to him completely, when it happened. A telltale blue mist leaked out of his mouth. He looked all around him, desperately searching for the ghostly presence that had decided to ruin a perfectly good evening. There was silence in the night, but it was not a normal one. The crickets that had been chirping moments ago had stopped their music. The lightning bugs that had been lazily flying around no longer blinked for a mate. A glow in Danny's hand showed he was forming a ball of energy to act as a weapon. He got off of Sam and stood up, still searching the skies, the ground; any place where a ghost might appear. There was nothing, and still the blue mist leaked out of his mouth.

And then he heard it. It was a whisper on the wind and he barely had time to react. He moved and felt the air whistle past him and saw a large sword bury itself into the ground where he was moments before. The sword slowly disappeared like steam, making a hissing sound. That was it. He allowed the change to come over him so that he was the all-powerful Danny Phantom. He looked to where the sword came from; his jaw dropped open in disbelief.

"Danny Fenton, what have I told you about my kitty?" Shade asked. He shook his head in disappointment. "I guess I should have straight out told you that you can't have her." An ectoplasmic whip formed in his left hand and he gave a sexy sly grin. "After all, she is my girl."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Danny demanded. "You don't exist here. You can't be here!"

"Oh but I can," Shade shot back. "I can be wherever I want to be now. You're just too naïve for your own good." The whip struck out and sped for Danny who dodged aside at the last second. The youth sent out a ball of energy that Shade was able to move away from easily. He sent his whip back out and it struck Danny's cheek, drawing a line of blood that slowly beaded down the face. "I guess I have time for a quick lesson."

Sam watched on in horror.

No…

No..

No.

No!

The two met in midair and there was an explosion of energy.

This wasn't happening.

_End Part One: Dark Eyes

* * *

_

_End Chapter

* * *

Author's Notes: Oh my gosh! Can you believe that? I can't believe it! Danny was so going to score with Sam and then Shade comes to ruin the party. That is so not cool! But hey, I updated a little bit faster than I did last time, right? I'm still sorry it took so long but I went on a trip to D.C. and then immediately went to Indiana. But hey, I got this thing going as fast as I could because I love you guys sooo much! And you know what? I'll love you even more if you give me a review. Tell your friends to review too! Oh, and is there anyone who has a C2 community that would post this story on theirs? I would like to get this thing circulating. Also, I stress that questions be sent in the form of a PM because I would like your thoughts and opinions on a review. Either way I'll reply to you because you guys mean sooo much to me. Thanks for sticking with me and stay tuned for part two! Ciao._


	10. Vague Identity

_Part Two: Shadow Man

* * *

_

_Chapter Ten: Vague Identity

* * *

_

The outburst rumbled throughout the air. Danny Phantom and his look a like fought with a ferocity that rivaled pure madness. There was a brilliant, violent display of lights as an ectoplasmic whip cut through an ectoplasmic beam. Shots were fired from rays, to balls, and circular blades that moved at an unearthly speed. Danny brought out every trick he had been saving all this time. There were moves, weapons, and all around skill that Sam had never seen or even heard of until now. She knew the boy could make certain things, but he was fighting Shade's trademark whip with a large sword that gleamed in the moonlight: it was astounding and all she could do was watch, mouth agape in shock, as the two men she cared for tried to kill each other.

Shade flew for Danny, and hurled an ectoplasmic shot the hero's way. Danny stubbornly knocked the attack aside with his sword and blocked the whip that came after the blast; strangely enough, it seemed the whip had a life of its own, and snaked around Danny's sword, making its way to his wrists. He dropped his weapon and it fell to the ground, point first, and imbedded itself in the ground not more than two feet away from Sam. She looked at it, her eyes widening in surprise. Danny turned back to his opponent, growling at the fact that his precious Sam could have easily been killed from his carelessness. He gripped the whip that tried to hold his wrists in place and sent out the largest amount of electrical energy he could muster. It hit Shade and the man cried out in pain and the whip disappeared in a cloud of vapor.

The two stared at each other: the clashing light and darkness, the representation of right and wrong, men battling for a woman's heart. They seemed like complete opposites, yet they were completely the same for the fact that they just couldn't give up.

Then, Danny unleashed his all powerful ghostly wail, and the effect was Shade falling from the sky, curled up into a ball. He fell right into the pond, and there was a tremendous splash, as if someone had dropped a bomb. Danny flew down into the water as well, creating another great splash and moments later he came out with a coughing Shade and threw him on the ground. Sam picked up the material of her dress that dragged along the ground and ran to them.

"How'd you get here?" Danny asked. His eyes blazed with anger as he choked Shade who was still struggling to get the remaining pond water out of his lungs. Apparently ending up in reality meant he was able to be hurt just like everyone else was, and that was good news for Danny. "Huh? How come you're here? I thought you couldn't exist here! What happened? What the fuck happened?" He didn't answer, merely looked over to Sam and she curled the hand that she was about to reach out with into a fist so neither could see the indecision that was battling within her. Danny punched Shade. Blood flew from Shade's mouth and into the sky in a glittering arc. "Tell me!"

"You would like me to tell you how I came here, how I came to be in the first place?" Shade chuckled, and then he threw his head back and let out a wheezing laugh, an after effect from the ghostly wail. "You wouldn't understand. You wouldn't want to understand." There was a strange sound, as if something was sliding into flesh. Danny felt a strange pain in his abdomen and when he looked down, he dropped Shade and fell back, staring in horror at the sword that went into his gut and out the other side. He let out a gasp as he fell back, clutching the hilt. Sam screamed in dismay as she saw Danny fight for his life as he changed back to his original form. Shade gave a sexy sly grin. "Poor little man…you must understand." He bent down so he could whisper into the youth's ear. "I accept what I am while you struggle with yourself, afraid of everyone because you are different. I do not give up so easily like you have done and I do anything to win." He pulled to sword free from the flesh, and the sound was sickening as the metal slid against intestines and clothing. "I have never lost." He adjusted his hold on the sword and held it high so that when it came down, it would sever the head from the body. "You did, and now you pay for it…with your life. Game over."

The blade fell and stopped inches before hitting a sobbing Sam Manson draped over Danny Fenton's body. "No, stop it." She looked up, tears in her eyes, begging, pleading. She had formed a human shield that even Shade could not, would not, destroy. "Don't kill him." She pulled Danny up against her and held his limp body with determination that was only present when a person was desperate. She trembled. "Don't let him die." It was begging, and it was also a demand. He looked into her eyes and saw that if he let the Fenton boy die, she would stop loving him, and he would die because she was the only thing that kept him alive, kept him tied to this world. "Please…"

He looked away and down at the sword. More than anything, he wanted to see Danny breathe his last because he hated the boy with everything he was. After all, he was the young man's dark side, something that had been hidden and locked away for so long. He hated Danny because he had never once been allowed to be let out, to roam free, to confess the pent up feelings for Sam. He also hated Danny because he ignored Shade, always using the desire, the anger, the obsessions, to fuel his strength and fight for the greater good. It was the equivalent of dangling a carrot in front of a rabbit and not letting them have it: keeping the wonderful taste of freedom just out of reach.

Then he saw Sam's eyes, the love for Danny held in there, but there was also love for him in there as well. She still couldn't choose. She couldn't say she loved one more than the other, and that, above all, hurt and infuriated him.

That was where patience came. He had waited before. He had waited to get out for so long, and he could wait again. It was true that patience was a virtue and he was well versed in its frustrating ways. He would wait: for Sam to love him and only him, and then to kill the ever tiring Danny Fenton. It might take a little while, but he had nothing else to do, nowhere else to go. Everything he was doing was revolving around these two. It had always been that way…but it wouldn't always be that way in the future, would it?

He sighed and the sword disappeared and the wound stopped bleeding. All that was left was a large gash, not life threatening any longer, but it still hurt like hell. At lest he was still alive. She sobbed in relief. "Thank you. Thank you."

"You owe me." He bent down and picked her up, angry now: angry at Danny, angry that Sam stopped him, angry with himself for loving her like he did. "You come with me and leave him alone." His grip on her was shaking, as if it was taking everything in him not to hurt her. "You stay with me because I didn't kill him." She opened her mouth the protest, but his lips crushed hers with a sort of desperation and silenced her. He stepped back and looked at her, long and hard. "I love you Sam, but I'm not a good guy." His hand stroked her face. "I don't play by the rules and I take what I want when I want. I don't lose and…" He kissed her once more. "I'm ruthless, so if you know what's best for you and especially Danny, you'll stay away." Just one more time he kissed her, and it was a light, sweet one, just to tell her how much he cared for her. "You belong with me. You have to see that. You just have to."

Then, he took a better hold of her and they were suddenly flying in the air, flying so fast that they were but a speck. The last thing Danny remembered before falling into the bliss of unconsciousness was hearing Sam's desperate cry of, "Danny! I love you! Danny!" That was it for him. He didn't hear anything else.

* * *

_The object of my affection _

_is the object of my obsession._

_She looks at me, but doesn't see my eyes._

_I hide in the shadows of lies,_

_of self-doubt and darkness._

_Yet seeing her gives me never ending bliss._

_But not being able to touch, to be,_

_she doesn't even really know me._

_She's always around._

_I wish she had never been found._

_I would never feel this,_

_such a yearn for just one kiss._

Any thoughts of happiness, of peace, of normalcy…it was all gone. They knew that life was different for them, that fighting ghosts- one of the gang even being a halfa -meant that their lives weren't just like anybody else's. But this, it all finally caught up to them. All the weirdness caught up to them and now, they couldn't handle it, not anymore.

It wasn't fair.

It just wasn't fair.

Then again, that was what life was, wasn't it?

Nothing could go right for them, nothing.

* * *

She was forced to grab a hold of him by circling her arms around his neck. If she hadn't, she most certainly would have fallen. No, that wasn't true. He wouldn't let that happen. She was just scared shitless, very shitless, and she had a good reason for it too.

They landed in front of her house. She didn't know what to do, but numbly followed him inside her home. They stopped in the entryway that had the busted vase from her and Danny's previous spur of the moment passion. She blushed at that, for recalling the memory recalled the scent and feel of his flesh. Recalling the memory recalled the warmth that he gave to her…just as Shade had done; for some reason though, that moment and the one in the park, she had felt more heat, more…something. She had felt just a bit more and now it made her question how she felt about Shade.

Did she truly love him or was it, as he said himself, an attraction to evil?

"I wish you'd make up your mind Sam. I know I have showed patience, but sooner or later, you'll have to choose." He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest and God help her, but hormones took over and she had the suddenly sinful urge to tackle him and taste every part of him possible. "Sam?" He gave his trademark sexy sly grin at the realization she was indeed staring at him, longing after him. "You know, I've been thinking, maybe you're having such a hard time because I look too much like…him." The last word was spit out with contempt. "Maybe I should show you what I really am. Maybe you'd like to see what Shade really is." She audibly gulped, in both nervousness and excitement. To see what Shade really looked like? She would see what he was? Would his hair change, his body? Would his eyes stay the same, beautiful, haunting green that they were now? "Watch, my kitty." He pushed himself off the wall so that he could stand up straight and closed his eyes in concentration. At first, it seemed like nothing was happening, but then she could see the change in him: height, muscle, even the bone structure of the face as it became longer, more defined. His hair grew from the unruly mop into long, beautiful curls that fell just past his shoulders. He became taller until he stood at what must have been 6' 2", and acquired a tone that exuded strength and masculinity without going overboard. To simply put it, he was gorgeous, and when he opened his eyes, they were still the same dark green with gold flecks. "Well?" The outfit slowly changed to accommodate and suit his real form: black suit pants with a silky white dress shirt and a dark green tie with a matching belt. He crossed his legs. "What do you think of this real me?"

She had to remember to breath and inhaled deeply.

God he was gorgeous. He was beautiful. He was sexy. He was Shade.

"Now, I was thinking we could do a repeat of your dreams, but in your bed." He scooped her up in his arms. "Tonight." It was a thought or a suggestion. It was a command.

She could hear her heart beating faster as he took her up the stairs to the second story where her room was, but for some reason, she wasn't feeling as much anticipation as she thought she would (watching someone she loved almost die sort of put a damper on that). Yes, she was worrying about Danny, of course, but there was something else, like she didn't want this now. But she had to and she knew that even if she didn't want to do anything, Shade would, and there was no way she could stop him, so she might as well try to enjoy herself; she wanted Shade, yearned for his touch, lusted after his skillful hands, and…and all she saw was Danny, even when Shade laid her on the bed and kissed that special part on her neck that usually sent her spiraling south.

_Danny._

He slowly lifted up her dress so that it rested mid-thigh and spread her legs so that he would place himself between there, and then returned to her mouth with a renewed vigor. She returned the kiss and he deepened it, giving a wonderful, low groan. Her hands grabbed at his shirt and ripped the buttons off so that she could reach that smooth expanse of chest, and felt the skin there, felt the heat that was within him now. He shuddered and she stopped kissing him so that she drew a wet trail from the stomach to the collarbone. This sent him over the edge and she saw how it affected the rest of his body, but still… She just couldn't stop thinking about something else.

_Oh Danny._

He took a moment to sit up and take his shirt off and she pulled the dress up and over her head so she only wore her lingerie. He looked at that body, his eyes full of amorousness. They drank each other that way, and then he was on her again and they didn't stop: touching, caressing, kissing, inhaling the scents, moaning, groaning, and feeling all the other pleasures that sex offered a person. It was amazing, mind blowing like always, but there was something missing from it all: the right person.

_I miss you, Danny._

That's what she thought as she began to nod off, with a resting Shade spooning her at her back. Yes, she enjoyed the feel of Shade. Yes, she loved the way Shade treated her when they had sex. Yes, she loved so many things about Shade. He was ardor, he was sexy, he was obsessive, and he was dark. He was what had tormented her dreams. He had tried to kill her and Danny. He had done so many horrible things and she still couldn't stop that attraction, that passionate heat she felt towards him, and she was calling that love. Or at least, she thought it was love. She was pretty sure it accounted for love, so why was being with him so wrong and scary?

Did she really love Shade, or was it something else she couldn't name yet?

Was it that appeal to darkness? Was it because he was evil that she felt something for him?

After all, sin was always attractive.

Did she just like that idea?

Maybe, maybe not, but she couldn't decide, not when he held her so close to him and sighed her name as he slept.

She couldn't tell him no, and so she fell asleep with tears gently running down the length of her face.

_Danny.

* * *

_

He sat up and resisted the urge to hurl from the sudden motion. This really sucked, because Danny Fenton, phantom or otherwise, did not like losing. It had sucked when Dash beat him up so much, but it was even worse when an evil version of him had been ready to kill him, only to be stopped by the love of his life that was now off somewhere romantic and probably getting screwed by said evil version, and that's what made losing suck all the worse: he had just lost the girl of his dreams.

Ouch.

That hurt. He was hurting both mentally and physically. Mentally for the fact that it was wrong of him to think that Sam was whorish in any way and physically because he just had the shit beat out of him. With those two things weighing him down, it was not looking like it would be his night after all. "Damn it, Fenton. Think!" He massaged his aching skull and did just that: he thought. "Wow. This is bittersweet." The fact he was a C average student and rarely thought things through…that was quite ironic, but getting back on track, he tried to think about what Shade was all about and if there might be any way to beat him. "Okay, so he's the darkness itself, the inner evil everyone has but never wants to admit." He sighed. This might be harder than it seemed. "Well, he's evil and he said that evil's really alluring, so that's why I kind of liked it when he showed me affection." He frowned. "I wanted evil to recognize me, maybe? Would that mean everyone wants to be recognized by evil in some way?" No, that wasn't getting him anywhere. "A different point, then…" Wow. Thinking out loud was helping him more than to himself. Well, at least he was by himself. Then again, he was by himself, which meant Sam wasn't by his side. No! He couldn't be thinking of that. He needed to concentrate. "So, he first showed up in Sam's dreams, but he came from me. Still, it could mean he has a deeper connection with her or something. He being close to her was more important than coming from me." Wait a minute. He might have something! "Since it seems he's sort of centering everything on Sam, she would probably be the key in defeating him or sending him back, or whatever I can do to get rid of the bastard." But to use Sam, he sort of needed her at the moment, and that wasn't looking too likely. "Could I put him away in the Fenton Thermos?" He shook his head. "I can't risk the chance of him coming back, though." This was getting to be really frustrating. "So, he's a bad guy that basically came from me and he's totally obsessed with Sam. How does that…?"

Suddenly, it hit him.

He knew it. He knew how to get rid of Shade!

"I've got it!" He jumped up in the air excitedly, and then fell back to the ground, wincing at the pain that was in his body. While it always seemed he healed faster in ghost form, the strain that had been put on him was more than usual and his body was finding it hard to compensate for the extra wounds, and when that happened, he usually changed back and he was a normal as everybody else at the moment. "Suck it up man," he told himself sternly. "No one likes a crybaby." Slowly, he stood up and smiled when he didn't fall back down. "Good. Now…I know how to defeat Shade. At least, I'm pretty sure I know how to get rid of him."

The change came back over him, and his legs turned into a ghostly tail and he shot straight up into the night sky, flying off into the city.

He knew what to do.

Everything could go back to normal, or at least as possibly normal as it could be.

All he needed was Sam.

That might be a little hard, but he was Danny Phantom and everything had to be possible with him.

After all, he was the superhero.

* * *

_End Chapter

* * *

_

Author's Notes: Okay, you officially have the right to beat me. I'm sorry, but I've been gone and I've encountered the worst writer's block since I can remember. I was absolutely lost on this story, so please forgive me that it was 1,000 words shorter than the last and was just anticlimactic. It's confusing, it's retarded. Yeah, I know, I suck. So if you want to hurt me, go ahead and do it, but do it with a review, because we all know that I love my reviews! And you know if you have any questions or something else bothering you, a PM is fine too. You all know I reply and I guess I want to really say I'm sorry for taking so long and I hope that you could still find it in your heart to read all this. Until the next chapter which will come out sooner (I swear, or at least I'll try), I'll see you all next time. Ciao.

P.S. Forgive grammatical and spelling errors because I typed this up as fast as I could and didn't read through it. I know. I still suck.


	11. Promising Kiss

_Part Two: Shadow Man_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_Chapter Eleven: Promising Kiss_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She woke up that morning with no warmth in her bed, and she sat up, confused as she slowly rubbed the sleep from her eyes. When she could clearly see her surroundings, she noticed that there was an envelope on her bed and her name was written on it in what was obviously made by Shade's hand. She grabbed it over, turned it over so that she could open it, and her fingers hesitantly tore at the paper, afraid to see what was inside. To her relief, it was nothing more than a simple note and she unfolded the paper so she could read it:

_My Dearest Sam, I write this for you so that when you wake, you shall know that I did not leave you out of my own free will. I am so sorry, but no matter how hard I try, I still cannot be in the daylight. However, I am still in your dreams, with you as soon as the sun sets, and even though I cannot be around in those lonely afternoons, I think of you every single minute, every second. I swear that someday I'll be there when you open your eyes and the first thing you see is me, but for now, while you're still deciding, I have to retreat and leave you alone in the mornings. So, we can't have any fun before school, no breakfast, and no daily shower. I miss you, I think of you always, and eagerly await to be with you again. –Shade_

She held that note, stared at it, memorized the ink, the way it flowed across the page, pressed it close to her heart. She closed her eyes and remembered how that man held her last night, how he had whispered to her almost desperately how much he loved her and that she was the only thing that kept him living. She was the only person for him in this world and was all he needed. It was the absolute truth and she knew that there were no lies around him. He didn't hide things from her. He didn't hide his love for her and he also didn't hide his hate for Danny Fenton. And still…it wasn't feeling like enough any more. Not enough, and she crushed that letter she held so close to her heart until it was nothing but a small ball. Crushing it wasn't enough for her, and instead she began to tear it apart, slowly at first, and then faster and faster until there wasn't anything left to rip apart. The note lay in ruins in front of her on the bed and she felt so cold again inside.

She knew whom she belonged with now. It didn't hurt anymore. She didn't feel so indecisive, and it made her feel so free.

She took in a deep breath and went to her bathroom.

She had been with him that night, slept throughout the whole day, woke up Sunday night to him again, and then slept until Monday morning. Danny must have been recovering from his injuries. She was happy that he never came for her. That meant he was safe. That meant he wasn't getting hurt. Thank God and so she wouldn't see him today either, she wouldn't let him get hurt anymore.

The light switch flicked on and the harsh light was a welcoming pick-me-up, a safer alternative than instantly addicting coffee; a little more awake now, she shed her pajamas and turned on the water so it was warm and steam filled the room. She stepped in and hissed as the water hit her sore spots: hickeys on her neck, back, some bruises here and there, and that cut on her wrist. She figured it would have healed by now, just one little cut, but it hadn't. It was still as red and bright as ever, and it hurt like hell. Why was that? Was it doing this because she wanted it to serve as a reminder of the horrible person that she was?

Once again, in all her years as the female social outcast of Casper High, she was thinking too damn much.

She sank down to the floor of the tub and let the water pitter patter against her skin. She made it even hotter and it was scalding on her back now, but she didn't care; after a while, after her skin pruned and the water ran cold, she turned off the shower and got out, wrapping the biggest towel she could find around her and putting her hair away in one too. She looked at her clock, saw that it read eight in the morning and decided at that moment that she'd be late for first period, but that didn't really matter since she was skipping school anyways. She decided to play hooky that day and didn't give a damn; as soon as she had dried off, she went back to the bathroom to take another shower. They calmed her and she loved them like there was no tomorrow, and since she had so much time on her hands, she would take as many as she wanted to until she couldn't anymore, or tired of them, whichever came first. So, she grabbed the bar of soap, the one with all the micro beads in it, and scrubbed at her skin as hard as she could until it was raw. She did not care about it and enjoyed the pain it brought. She liked the intensity of it, for it made her feel more alive, more invigorated.

The water ran cold again.

She quit her shower and grabbed another fluffy towel and dried herself off, making sure she got every part of her body. She then put on her favorite robe, although she wouldn't admit it to anyone because it was large, soft, floor length, and she practically drowned in it since it was twice her size, if not three times. However, it was her favorite because it was large and downy. It wrapped her in warmth and she felt safe from that, as if nothing could break the goodness that could only come from fresh laundry that was warm and soft to the touch where a person could bury their face in the fabric and inhale its sweet, fresh scent.

Somewhat content with being clean and warm, she flopped down on her bed. Sighing heavily, she stared up at her ceiling, crawling with the posters of Brandon Lee, fire-breathing dragons, so many dark things that were all humorous at the same time. The few others that had come over who weren't Danny (Tucker didn't count in this instance) found themselves deeply disturbed. They tended to think she was psychotic, borderline on maniacal killer. However, she and Danny had always found some degree of comfort in them. They had been part of her decorum for years to the point where they had probably molded into the paint. She liked them that way.

Danny liked them too.

They were a part of her.

The small smile that had started immediately disappeared. She had thought of Danny again. Her day off and she thought of him, but of course she knew she had some major thinking to do. It was like looking through the shoebox full of pictures. She had to take it off the shelf, run her fingers through it, and sort it, piece by piece. It might take a while, but she had to do it. What had happened last night showed she just couldn't sit back and have one man in the real world and one in her dreams. It wasn't fair, to all three of them, it just wasn't fair and not saying anything would make it hurt so much. It hurt bad enough…no…she had to decide. That's what she'd do.

And so, the memories began to flow through her. She went back to the beginning, because she felt it was the best way. She let her mind wander to the day she first met Danny.

She was five again. She wore a pink dress and hated it with all her might. She didn't know why but she wanted to wear black instead. She was tiny, and the playground was enormous. She was innocent and ever so lonely because the children avoided her. Even at such a young age she was different and she was reduced to sitting alone under a tree at the edge of the playground. She wasn't even allowed on the sandy ground and it made her angry and glare at most every child that passed her way.

Then she heard an indignant shout and looked to see a boy being pushed onto the ground by two others who were much larger…and much dumber. She jumped up and ran to the defense of the little boy, yelling at the two boys, kicking them in the shins with her little tennis shoes, and they got angry but had been raised to not hit girls and walked off with a little bruising. She bent down, helping the boy up with messy jet-black hair and asked if he was okay. She was answered with a beautiful smile and a pair of the most gorgeous blue eyes she had ever seen in her entire life.

They had hit it off instantly, and later on that day saved another boy who had been dumped into the garbage can and revealed himself to be Tucker. She found out that day she could be herself. They had fun and it was great. Of course, they met time and time again after that and even to this day, she would meet with the boys under that tree at the edge of the park.

It was a happy memory. It was a fond memory.

But then there was…_"You're mine Sam, you're mine." His voice was deep, insistent. Something was holding her, pushing her into the bed. She tried to move, but only met resistance, the force pushing on her harder now. "I'll take you as my own. He can't have you."_ She met Shade in her nightmares. He had plagued her for nights on end, scared her half to death, raped her (in her mind) and humiliated her. That was horrible. It made her go crazy, destroy herself. Shade made her feel dark, terrified and that was her first idea of him.

Danny was happy.

Shade was frightening.

She turned onto her side and grabbed her pillows. Her bed was loaded with them. It was a girlish side in her. She happened to have a "thing" for them and collected them with a mild obsession, and since it was the only thing her parents could remember to get her on their numerous trips, she had plenty of them and they weren't even that frilly. Thank God for Oriental flair. She liked to pile them around her, burrow into them, and get lost in the puffiness that only a pillow could offer.

_"But I wanted to do it," he replied. He gently took her over to the wall so that her back was pressed up against it and he pushed himself up against her body, treating her as if she were made of glass. "I love you and I wanted to show my love with a simple…rose." The last word came out as a sigh for him as he leaned down so that his lips were just touching hers. The gasp from him leaped down her throat and into her stomach where it seemed to start her body on fire, and she couldn't take it. The rose fell to the ground, completely forgotten as she closed the last centimeter between them and crushed herself against him._

Passion.

_"My Sam," he whispered hotly. "Let me be with you for once. None of this violent shit." The music was gone, the twirling round and round replaced with standing still. His mouth was inches from her skin, drinking in her scent, sending Goosebumps down her arms. She gulped down the lump forming in her throat. Tears pricked at her eyes because of the decision she knew she'd make. "Be with me one time and I'll show you what I really am." He held her hands in his. Why was this so hard? How could she deny him when he had confessed that he loved her? She knew he did even though he was violent, possessive, and very obsessive. She knew that he was dangerous but her soul called out to him. What was this ache she felt deep in her heart? "And if you still hate me, I'll disappear. I can't be without you. It's as simple as that."_

Lust.

_"Just you…" Her stomach, just a few quick kisses there. A draw in of breath from her...And then, he tore her fingerless gloves off of her, his intention all along, and it was too late to realize what he was looking for when he found it. And there it was, the angry mark, marring the perfect, white skin. The moment was gone instantly, any feelings of passion dashed away, now replaced with fear, sadness, confusion. "It was true," he whispered. She felt shame course through her. "Oh Sam…why did you do such a terrible thing to yourself? Why?"_

Sorrow.

_A sigh. "I guess I win, but…it was so easy." He opted for a sexy pout instead of a sexy sly grin. "You're not as much fun as Sam. Now Sam…" There were suddenly bindings around Danny. It looked like regular chains, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't phase out of them or break them apart. He was helpless and who knew what the hell was going to happen to Sam. Shade moved over to Sam, who tried to punch him, but he swooped inside the attack so that his face was mere inches from hers, his arm pinning her left one to her side and had it wrapped around her waist. His other hand grabbed her wrist that had been part of the punch. His eyes widened and then half closed suggestively. "Kitty is lots of fun, lots and lots of fun." She turned her face away from him, disgusted. He turned back to Danny. "She's so very flexible and her skin…it's so soft, but I think you already knew that."_

Terror.

"_You wanted to be fucked by him, didn't you? Didn't you?" At that point, he began to tear at her top, push her skirt up to her waist, his lips on hers, that dominating, obsessed, hunger in them. And she tried not to look, but she knew he phased out of his jumpsuit, had her phased out of her clothes as well, not wanting to struggle with undressing her anymore, and he was panting hard. He whispered in her ear excitedly, "Well, he can't have you, cause I'm gonna fuck you first. Then he won't want you, and then I can have you all to myself, fuck you all I want." After saying that he would-_

Rape.

_He lovingly ruffled her hair and grinned. "That sounds good to me." He turned the TV on and flipped through the channels, the strange imprint in his DNA controlling him. It was impossible for him to stay at one channel for more then a few minutes. At least, that was until he would find some viewing pleasure that could capture his attention. He stopped at SciFi, softly placing the remote control on the edge of the couch. Of course it was stupid: Ghost Hunters. "I wonder if I should have them come here. That might be fun."_

Simplicity.

The memories crawled through her. She looked back at all the past events, especially the ones from this week, the ones that included Shade and Danny. She sorted through her feelings for them, sorted through those memories: good, bad, and painful. So many memories, so many feelings... It was all there for her, and she looked at it all. Scents, touch, sounds… She wandered through them all with the knowledge that she was safe, that they were merely memories and they couldn't harm her, even the ones that made her heart wrench and her breath catch…

_He kissed her softly, pouring himself into it, and she gave herself to him. She pulled him to her and he embraced her. The soft kisses gave way to soft touches, and then gave way to a harder kiss that left them both breathless. The soft touches became desperate tugs and pulls at clothing, ripping them off, but it didn't matter anymore because they would never wear them again anyways. Such passion that had been held back was now out. Sam had resisted because she had thought him a rapist, an evil creature, but the more she met him, the more it was increasingly clear that there was no black and white, only gray. The more she met him the more she realized that he wasn't so easy to deny. And now, there was no resistance. Both were giving themselves completely in both body and soul. It would be no other way._

She blinked and slowly withdrew herself from it all. There was the hurt yes, but there was also a fondness laced throughout many of them. Of course, the ones that had kindness were the ones that only included…

Danny.

Shade had good times in there, but it was all lust, all passion, all sex, in one form or another.

Danny was caring.

Kind.

Clumsy.

Loving.

She sat up suddenly because the answer that had been there all along. It had been so obvious and she had been so blind! She let that sin that darkness get in her way. She let it blind her and lead her astray just like its purpose had been. She was not supposed to yield to the temptation but she did, oh boy she did. She fell into it, rolled in it, and swallowed it whole. God she was an idiot, a hormonally challenged idiot, and the worse part of that was it was the guy's job to have the sexual problems. The realization of it all hit her like a train and—damn it! Idiot! She was an idiot! Fool! Moron! She didn't look, ever! She never really thought about it, let her body do the talking for her. She was a whore, a slut, and now she was ashamed of herself.

"Save me," she whispered, burying her face into her hands. "Danny. I want you to protect me now. Please come."

Her knight in shining, ectoplasmic armor…

"I love you."

Blue-eyed prince…

Her Danny. Danny Fenton.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Dude. What are you so bent up over?" Tucker leaned over and nudged Danny, frowning in concern. He remembered on Saturday that Danny and Sam had been inseparable. In fact, the whole student body of Casper High knew it and the young man had gotten catcalls and whistles for his daring moves. Dash hadn't shoved him into a locker, but shook his hand and told him that the boy had guts for touching a girl like that. So then why wasn't the guy happier? "I saw you and Sam leave before the dance was over. I thought you two might have gotten it on. What gives?" He pointed to the empty seat. "Did you do bad?"

"We didn't do anything," he muttered and let his head fall on his desk. He regretted the motion and sat up again, wincing at the sharp pain that hit his abdomen. He had walked home Saturday night, dirty and beaten. He had taken the long way home, giving Sam' home a wide berth. He had made it back at about one in the morning and spent all of Sunday in his bed sulking and playing video games, refusing to answer the phone or even leave, except for a bathroom break. Come Monday, his parents busted down his door- literally –and demanded that he had to go to school. He knew that Sam wouldn't be in school today and he was right. "It was bad Tucker, very bad."

"Well this sucks." Tucker crossed his arms. "The one time I have good stuff happening in my life and your guys' is about to fall apart."

Danny grinned. "Well what happened? You can't leave me hanging."

"Two words." There was a satisfied smirk now. "Fake-out make-out, well, there wasn't really any faking but there was plenty of making!" He laughed. "Awesome. Right? Valerie and I are going to the movies again on Friday and she's going to eat some lunch with me today."

"That's great!" They slapped hands. The carefree mood disappeared when Danny replied with, "But I'm afraid it'll just be the two of you today. I've…"

"It's no problem. I understand man. You've got to do your thing." He pulled out his PDA. "And I've got to do mine. Heh heh."

"Thanks Tuck." Danny put his hand on Tucker's shoulder. The bell rang, excusing them from first period and giving the halfa five minutes to get out of Casper High. "You're a really good friend and you deserve a good girl." They did their secret handshake, the one that involved fists bumping and waggling their fingers. "I'm happy for ya."

"I would be too if you just went and got the girl. Now go!" Danny did, looking around the empty hallway once before going invisible and walking out the doors with no one the wiser. "Good luck. You're gonna need it."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He still couldn't change and fly, so he was reduced to running as fast as he could because he had acted like Mr. Depression and walked to school instead of driving or getting a ride from Jazz. So he ran to her house now and tried to ignore the throbbing pain that was in his gut. Lucky for him, Sam's place was only five blocks away. He wanted to get to her, to see her again, to hold her in his arms like he had done, to hear her speak his name again with that lopsided grin. He ached to bury his head in that small part where her neck and shoulder met and inhale her fragrant scent. He longed to taste every inch of her flesh, to feel it beneath his hands, to care for every bit of her, physically and soulfully.

There it was!

Her mansion of a home loomed up ahead. It gave him his second wind and he sprinted the short distance until he reached her door and then stopped, breathing heavily from the exertion. When he had regained his composure, he rang the doorbell. He knew that today there would be no butler that answered, no grandmother that would come on her scooter. Sunday and Monday were a day off for them and Sam actually dismissed them until Wednesday for she felt that they had no need to take care of a normally empty house. Only when Mr. and Mrs. Manson came back did the butler, maid, and chef take on their regular schedule again.

No one came down.

He rang the doorbell again, somewhat impatient this time. Sam should be up. She shouldn't be with…with…

_Him_.

He didn't feel like waiting anymore. He didn't want to see her come down in nothing but a sheet with her hair mussed from sleep and sex. He wouldn't take it, and summoning all of his strength, he turned intangible and flew straight up so that he would reach her balcony. He landed softly but knew that he did not need to do such a thing, for the curtains were closed and the lights off. He slid through the doors and the curtains, entering her bedroom to where it was cool and quiet. There was no music playing, no movie presentation, and best of all, no Shade. He gave a sigh of relief, and there was a movement at the bed.

"Who's there?" She sat up, a look of surprise and slight fear on her face. She saw there was no one and Danny didn't move, actually couldn't move because he was stunned. If Sam had been a visionary goddess for the Halloween Extravaganza, she truly was one at the moment. No make up adorned her and her raven hair, still slightly damp and curling around her delicate face, striking against her ivory skin. Her amethyst eyes were so very dark at the moment, glittering in the little light there was. Her robe hid her lithe body at the moment, but it made her seem so very small and fragile, and it made him want to reach out and protect her, to save her from all things scary. "I'm hallucinating again." She stood up, rubbing her eyes. "Time for another shower…" She undid the sash of her robe as she walked back to the bathroom and her milky white shoulders were exposed. "I wonder if I used all the hot water."

He couldn't stop himself anymore. He let his body come back into contact with the world, hit feet settling firmly on the floor. She had her back turned to him now and he closed the precious distance between them and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back to him. She let out a gasp of shock and only relaxed when he whispered into her ear, "Sam." She turned around, staring at him in disbelief, as if he shouldn't exist. More importantly, he shouldn't have been there. They both knew it, but he couldn't stay away. "I missed you so much. I could never stop thinking of you, even if an obsessed psychotic guy who came from me. I just…wanted to be close to you." On the last few words he buried his face into her hair, inhaling her scent. He drew in a breath, for suddenly he wanted to cry. "Sam. My Sam."

"Don't do this Danny. He'll come back tonight. He'll know we were together. Then what will we do? What will happen?" She turned around, her arms circling around him, doing anything possible to get her body closer to his. She wanted him so badly. She wanted to be with him. "You skipped school. You don't like to ditch."

"Yeah, well I didn't feel very good, so I decided to get out. I can't concentrate anyways." His thumb stroked her cheek and she closed her eyes, amazed that such a simple thing could bring an enormous amount of comfort. "I have something important to tell you, but I need you to tell me something first."

His hand cupped her face now and she leaned into it, memorizing the texture, the way the palm curved, how it smelt faintly of a wooden number two pencil and aftershave. "Anything, Danny, anything. I've done so many terrible things, and to you of all people! The last I can do is tell you something."

"Who do you choose?"

Her eyes snapped open. "You mean you or Shade, right?"

"Of course. What else do I mean? Sam, it's sort of the focus point of our lives right now!"

"I know. Just making sure."

"Just stalling."

"No. I'll tell. I swear. I know, okay?" She grabbed his hand with her own, tracing the lines along his skin. "I said I'd tell you anything. It's the least I can do. I'll owe you for a long time, a very long time."

"Who is it?"

Twilight looked up at clear skies, the pure ocean. Love, lust, passion, caring, adoration, affection…it was all there. It was all in their eyes. They felt it for each other. Her calmness met his liveliness and they mingled, feeling content.

"You. It's you. Always was, always will be. I loved you when I met you. I'll never stop loving you."

He kissed her, the gentlest brushing of lips, and it was fireworks for her, but they never increased it. They were happy with being like this, barely touching, kissing so nicely. It was wonderful and they both knew it.

They were meant for each other.

And then they broke from the kiss, coming back for air; he hugged her.

"I think I know how to get rid of him."

"What?"

"I know how to make him go away for good, but I need you."

"Whatever you want, Danny, whatever you want. I promise I'll help." She gave another lopsided grin. "Say the word and I'm there."

He kissed her forehead. "That's my girl."

It was starting to end. All the suffering was going to go away. It was finally happening.

Finally.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_End Chapter_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes: Well, this is a bit longer than the last one. Goody! So, writer's block ended because I sort of…heh…cheated. I think we all know what I'm talking about. wink, wink, nudge, nudge Okay, so what about this chapter? I hope it was okay. Come one people! I need some reviews. Please? Pretty please? Anyways, I'm going to run into a bind here soon because I'm not too sure what to do, so I want you people to tell me. Would you like another eight chapters, or do we sort of want to end it and see what the aftermath is? I would like everyone to tell me. I need to know or else I can't start up on the next chapter. It's up to you, the reader, to decide! As always, we know that I love the comments…and the criticism. Can't live without either of them and getting reviews is just like a birthday for me! Presents! They're presents! Thanks to all you faithful readers. Questions? Send them in the form of a PM. Okay. That's it! I'm in a good mood. Until next time. Ciao.

P.S. Sorry for the spacing mistakes. My Internet was being a jerk again.


	12. Flaming Passion

_Part Two: Shadow Man_

_-----_

_Chapter Twelve: Flaming Passion_

_-----_

He led her to her bed, holding her hand tenderly, and he sat her down on it. She looked up at him and there was nothing but complete and utter trust for him in her eyes. She knew that he would never hurt her, would protect her always, her knight in metaphorically shining armor. She would do whatever it took because she was with Danny and that was all that mattered. She would give nothing but love, support, her body, and her soul. She would give everything to him and he to her. It would be no other way. It couldn't be any other way.

"Do you know how Shade came to be?" He sat beside her and grabbed her hand. His fingers traced the delicate lines in her palm and he pressed the soft skin against his lips. However, he did not let his eyes wander off her. He waited for her reaction. His tongue slowly flicked out and she gave a small shudder, her eyes fluttering with obvious pleasure. "Do you know what made him real?" Gently, he bit her thumb, and she gasped slightly. "You should know how it all started. It's sort of my fault."

"Mine too," she whispered hoarsely. "It was my fault he came too. I let him in."

He pushed her back and cupped her face. She was painfully aware of how inadequately dressed she was and pulled the robe closed, but he pressed her arms to her side. He exposed her milky shoulders and stared at her with a hunger she didn't know was possible. "Listen to me on this one." He lowered his face so that he could pay attention to her collarbone, just for a moment that ended all too quickly, and pulled back, leaving her aching and wanting more. "I know how it all started and whether you want to believe it or not, I made him. He had always been hiding. He really was my dark side. He was that bad guy in everyone. Everyone has him in them, but with me…" He rolled off her so that he could lie next to her and hold her hand with his, big and warm compared to hers, small and cold. "Since I got the ghost powers and it merged with my DNA, there's been certain things in my body that have changed. I think that the malevolence I had merged with that ghost power and was able to sort of take a life of its own." He put her hand on his chest. She sidled closer to him, her lithe body melding with his, like it was meant to be. "And I think that you were kind of thinking about me at that time. Uh…yeah…you know what I mean. But anyways, I think he found you. He was able to take over your dreams, and then you gave in for a little bit and it made him stronger." He turned on his side so that he could properly hug her. "I don't think he can live without you though. You're sort of what made him really live, and without you, he's nothing. I think he'll just go back to being that bad part of me, but then I can be in control." He grinned. "Pretty good for a C average student, huh?"

She smirked. "Yeah. I guess so. You need to have an okay theory every now and then." She stood up, stretching, and then looked back at him, the smirk still on her face. "I kind of knew this stuff already, though. Thanks for pointing it out. It's good to know that it wasn't a wild guess."

"I think of something good and you have to go and ruin it." He gave a pout, complete with puppy dog eyes. "Thanks a lot."

"Oh, little Danny Fenton got a boo boo," she cooed. "Does he needs me to kiss to make it all better?"

He was in front of her fast, amazingly fast, and she blinked in surprise. Obviously he had gotten better in the time since he had become a superhero; the smile that had been on her face disappeared as she saw the smoldering look he held. The fire in his eyes was unmistakable, that hunger for her that could only be sated by taking her, body and soul. It both scared and excited her. She both welcomed and shied from it; she wanted Danny, but was she prepared to take their relationship to the next level? She loved Danny from the start, but could she keep that commitment? Sex had always complicated everything. Did she want to do that? Would it ruin everything good between them?

She had a feeling it could only make it more brilliant.

"Yes." His voice was gruff. "I have a cut, deeper than anything, and it won't heal without you. I need you for it. I need you for everything."

She gulped nervously.

Those eyes.

His eyes…

He no longer stared at her as a boy would. Oh no, a boy would hold lust, would hold excitement, but they would not care of the implications. They would not care of it being their first time. They just wanted the joy that sex brought about. No, he was looking at her like a man. He knew what would happen with such physical pleasure. He knew it all and he still wanted her, because he loved her. He loved her as only a man could love a woman and he wanted her in every way possible. It wasn't sex. Sex was too casual of a word, didn't bring about fond feelings or memories of rainy days spent beneath sheets and next to a warm body. He would make love to her and then she would be his, undeniably forever.

"Don't look at me that way." It came out as a whimper from her when he stroked her face. "Oh God Danny, don't look at me like that."

"Why?" He kissed her cheek. "I've always looked at you like this." He gently took her lips, long and full. "You just never noticed."

She couldn't stop her jaw from dropping in amazement. Danny Fenton had indeed grown up to be a man.

"I love you." She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head into his t-shirt. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

That was the incentive, and he caught of whiff of her scent, her perfume of lilies and cherry blossom with her tangy lemon-like shampoo. To say the least, it was all very hypnotic and he took his time, getting lost in the scent, hearing the slight change in her breathing. He pulled her even closer, for the bathrobe got in the way of her body. He couldn't feel every curve, every muscle. It wasn't enough for him. He didn't want their clothing tampering with each other's flesh. He wanted the essence of her, everything she was, right next to him. He wanted her as close as possible.

Ever so slowly, his hands slid under the robe, peeling it back inch by inch, but then she grabbed his wrists, stopping him, her eyes wide and innocent. He looked at her, quite confused, until she smiled seductively. "We just have got to get rid of that shirt of yours. It's just too tacky. Don't you think so?" She grabbed the hem and lifted it until she had pulled it above his stomach. She admired how firm he was, letting her nails drag lightly across its surface, relishing at how he shivered beneath her touch. "It's only fair." Her tongue flicked out and his mouth opened, slightly panting.

He ripped it off him, groaning from the back of his throat, "Yeah. Fair's fair." She couldn't refuse the desire she felt for him. He was undeniably sexy, his hair just a little messy from taking off the t-shirt, and his upper body exposed, those forming muscles just rippling below the surface. "What about you? Your turn." She shook her head, giving a small laugh and pointed at his pants. He gave a mock sigh, rolling his eyes. "I guess I could do that." She pushed him onto the bed. "You're a little feisty." He couldn't stop that boyish grin gracing his handsome features and she kissed his stomach. His breath hitched; it aroused her as well.

"You have no idea, Fenton." He sat up, but she pushed him back down. "Let me take them off. Let me touch you, at least for a little while." She licked him from his chest to his belly button. He gave a low moan, arching just a bit. His hands clutched at the blankets. "I want to do this Danny. I want to give you something I never did Shade." Her grin was positively wicked and it made him nervous, but just a little bit harder as well. "He may have had sex with me, but that was it. He didn't let me touch him like this. I want to have that with you." She tugged at the jeans, pulling them down a little past his knees. "I want to make you crazy." Her teeth grazed his left leg. He moaned again, his provocation becoming more apparent. She had to stop for a moment; seeing that manhood pushing the boxers up made a pressure start to build up within her. "You want me." She had the jeans off entirely and was attacking his legs again. He bucked into the air a few times, whispering her name, asking her to stop, although his body told otherwise. "You need me, Fenton." She crawled up his body so that she could bite his earlobe, fingernails dragging lightly across his beautiful chest. "It's the perfect way to get rid of him. Ironic though, isn't it?"

Then he had her rolled over so that he could lie on her instead, grinding his eagerness into her, making her hot all over. "It is, and I couldn't think of doing it any other way." He pulled her arms above her head, holding them with one of his hands. "But I'm not going to sit back and let you love me." He licked small circles the entire way down her neck, pausing every so often to blow cool air on the spots he had previously been. She gave a small whimper and he couldn't help but smile as he drew his attention just a little lower. "I'm going to do it. I just want to show you I'm better than him. I want to show you that while he may have been a part of me, he wasn't everything." Further her robe came off, his eyes taking in the scope of her body. She blushed deeply, averting her gaze. He grabbed her face. "Look at me." His hands slide further down, resting on her hips. His lower body pushed against her, a new warmth exploding in both of them. "I want to see your eyes go to smoke."

They had started off playful, slightly laughing, grinning. Underneath that light-heartedness, there was a passion that sparked between them. It was a seriousness that neither could deny. They wanted to adore and be adored. They'd give each other just that.

And he was all over her, but not in a way Shade had been. With that man, she never knew where his hands were, where any of him was. It had been all over, everywhere, so confusing, but with Danny, it was different. She knew where his hands were, and having his mouth right under her jaw, kissing ever so lightly. It had her trembling with fervor, sweat starting to slide between her breasts. He noticed, and moved down to lap it up like a dog; a high-pitched sort of mewl escaped her and she arched back, allowing him to take in more of her flesh. His mouth took in one of those pink buds while his hand strayed to the other one to lavish attention so that it wouldn't be so cold. Gasps escaped from her and she was soaking wet. He grinded up against her and she responded, legs starting to wrap around him.

"Danny," she panted. "Oh Danny. Oh God."

Their clothes were lost. When that had happened, neither knew. They were caught up in their own world, bodies melding together. There were soft touches, each and every single one memorized and stored away for later, knowing that special spot that made her sigh in a certain way, knowing that one place on his chest drove him crazy. His kisses had her panting for breath, pushing herself into him so hard that there would be bruising for certain. Breathing down along his thighs had him begging for mercy, pleading her to stop lest he go over the edge. It went on for what felt a lifetime.

It was wonderful.

They truly loved each other, and expressed it through physicality.

She whimpered his name, groaned it, and screamed it.

He told her how much he loved her, how beautiful she was, how amazing; she was ethereal, a goddess.

They wound themselves around each other. Slow…hard…harder…pounding…and then a beautiful, golden warmth poured out through both of them. They entered heaven, that state of bliss, to where their bodies became one, a mass of limbs.

Sam Manson's eyes clouded up in that moment when she went over the edge, turning to smoke. Danny saw every bit of it all…

And he loved it.

Finally, they had finished. There was nothing left except the heavy breathing, people clinging to each other because nothing else was in reach. Out of energy, he collapsed on her, not heavily of course, for he wouldn't hurt her like that, and the he was able to fall beside her. She rested her hand where his heart beat, her own aligning with his, and it fell down from the earlier climax until it was normal again, and they were like that, in the aftermath, content, peaceful.

Wow seemed too juvenile. Speaking felt a waste of time. They lay in each other's arms, peaceful.

Triumphant.

Then that moment came, to where she yawned, and he felt his body begin to sag slightly with exhaustion. It was inevitable that fatigue would set in. They knew it, and they were prepared. They were ready to face the world of shadows yet again, and this time…they'd win.

"I love you, Samantha Manson."

"I love you, Daniel Fenton."

Open.

Close.

They were lost in the world of sleep. They were in the land of darkness.

-----

"Valerie?" Tucker asked in disbelief as he opened his front door. The look of surprise was wiped completely at the realization it was his what he hoped to call "girlfriend" and was replaced with the charm of a boyish smile. "Not that I'm mad you're here, in fact, quite the opposite." He frowned a little, as if in concentration. "What are you doing here?"

"I dunno," she replied shyly. A blush dusted prettily across her simple, yet attractive face. It made Tucker smile for some reason, although he couldn't quite say why. Being around Valerie made him feel happier, calmer, more like himself. The only other people he felt this way were around Sam and Danny, although recent events prevented him from hanging around with them. "I thought I'd just drop by and say hi. I wanted to see how everything was happening…you know…with everyone. It just seems you, Danny, and Sam haven't been together this week. Is something wrong?" She looked up, quite fearful. "It's not because of me, is it?"

"No!" He grabbed her, ushering her inside. His hand never strayed from hers, even when they had made it to his living room and sat down on the couch. Her thumb skimmed lightly across his fingers in a playful fashion. They both felt a tingling sensation. It was thanks to all those hormones; whether for better or worse, neither was sure of yet. "They love you, you know. I swear. Nothing is wrong. Danny and Sam…they're kind of getting into a relationship. I think it's a little too new for them and they need some time alone to work it all out." He gave what could only be described as his "Look," consisting of a perverse grin paired with raised eyebrows. "Besides, I wasn't too nice to them when it came to hooking up. They sort of denied it and me poking fun sure didn't help."

"Maybe," she commented, "maybe not. Who knows?" He pulled her closer so that her head rested on his shoulder, and he grabbed the remote control so that the TV came on for pleasant back round noise. "All I remember is from Saturday when those two were dancing together." She blushed again, although this one wasn't so innocence. Dirty little thoughts were prevailing throughout the head of Valerie Grey, and for some reason, it was kind of turning him on. "Then those two left kind of early, and Sam didn't come to school today and I noticed Danny wasn't around after first period or so. What's going on?"

"Like I said, they're working out a relationship."

"Wow. Pretty mysterious, Foley. I didn't know you had it in you to be so sexy that way." She lifted her head up so that she could lean closer to him, her lips hovering just above his cheek. "I kinda like it."

"Well then. Let's find out how mysterious I can truly be." He maneuvered himself so that he could lay on top of her with the couch underneath them both. He kissed her and she seemed to purr, her hands sliding up to take his cap off so that she could free the hair that had been slicked down. They broke away for a little bit. "I take that as a yes."

"You win the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Now shut up and kiss me."

He did just that.

All the while, the one thing that kept on repeating in Tucker's head was: Score!

-----

She sat up in her bed, looked around, seeing that she was in her room. She looked down and found out that she was clothed, and in quite a stunning outfit too. That was strange though. She never expected to wear such a thing, awake or sleeping. She was pretty sure she had never seen such an outfit. She had never worn garters before. They were kind of uncomfortable, but then again, very sexy. She didn't know whether to feel embarrassed or be mortified. Opting for in between, she willed herself to be in something else, her old trademark outfit of a non-generic black tank top and pleated mini skirt completed with chunky combat boots. She checked herself again, and to her delight, found that she was indeed dressed in that very outfit. That was fantastic.

It was also a little change in the playing field.

Perfect.

-----

"_Sam!" Hands clad in silvery gloves covered her eyes and for a split second, she felt terror that it might be Shade. "I was afraid I wouldn't make it with you. I'm glad it worked out." Only Danny, of course. She was safe, for now. "So, where is the little son-of-a-bitch?" In all his Phantom glory, her hero was ready to fight. There was no way in hell he'd lose to someone that was a part of him. They weren't even whole! "This is going to work, and with my theory, he might be a little pissed…"_

_An ectoplasmic shot came out from the inked shadows, hitting Danny squarely in the back. The young man went flying, hitting a bookshelf, paperbacks and hard covers tumbling down around him. _

"_You fucking bitch!" he roared. There was no time to react as Shade flew from where he had issued the ectoplasmic beam, knocking her down onto the bed. He straddled her, his hands reaching for her throat immediately. There was a craziness about him, like something had finally snapped, and now Sam knew what it was. "You cunt of a whore!" He slapped her, and all she could do was lie there, stunned at the ferocity of his attack. She knew that Shade had a tendency to be…passively psychotic, but this was outrageous. This was going to get her killed. "I am gonna make sure he can't fuck you. It was only me you could have, only me! I was supposed to have you all to myself, fuck you all I want."_

"_Yeah, I think I'm right," Danny muttered as he wiped a spot of blood from his lip. He took a deep breath and then yelled, "Shade!" His maniacal self stopped beating Sam and stared at him. "Don't get her involved in this." He took up a fighting stance. "Because you know this is really just between me and you." _

"_Fine," he snarled. His eyes rolled to the back of his head so that only the whites showed, giving a horribly eerie feeling to the experience as a whole. His body shifted like it had the first time, but in reverse this time around. His hair grew shorter until it became the unruly mop exactly the same as Danny's. His physique became that of a boy growing into a man, sexual and sweet in its own way. He was now another version of Danny Phantom, the look-a-like he had started off as. "I'm ready for you, you fucking crow. Here I come!"_

_He flew after Danny Phantom, his ectoplasmic whip brandished and ready for the hero._

_Except, it never came. _

"_You won't hurt him," she snarled. The expression on Sam's face, to say the least, was terrifying. "I won't let you." _

_Surprise could not stray from Shade's face, for he was suspended in midair, some unknown entity holding him so he could not move. _

"_What are you doing?" Then he was moving again, falling heavily onto the floor. He got back up, sweat gleaming on his forehead out of nervousness. "How did you do that?" The ectoplasmic whip flared around his legs, snaking out towards Sam, but then as it reared to strike, it hit a sort of invisible shield and fell limply at her feet. "But this is my world. This is the world of shadows!" _

"_You're wrong." Power circled her as a hot wind, blowing back her hair. The anger in her seemed to leech out, replaced with sorrow, regret. That part of her that was attracted to Shade, that loved him, was having second thoughts. No matter what, she'd always feel something. Still…there was the right thing to do. "This may be shadows, but you forgot one important thing." She stepped on the ectoplasmic whip, completing severing it. It faded away in ghostly vapors. Shade was weaponless. "This is my dream, and since it means that it's in my mind, I control everything." A tear escaped, slowly trailing down her cheek. She didn't bother wiping it away. "That means it's finished…Shade."_

_He blinked; not knowing, and then the realization dawned on his face. It was horrible, and Sam felt something break inside her. She felt that whimsical part that had gone along with everything sort of disappear. _

"_Kitty," he whispered. "Kitty, no." _

"_Don't do this to me." Danny came up behind her, his hands grabbing her waist, giving his power and his support. "I don't love you anymore Shade. I can't love you anymore."_

"_That's not true. You do love me." He was pleading. He now knew that he had no power. "You have to love me. You said you did!"_

_She shook her head, hands gripping her ears in a desperate attempt to block out the words he said. "No. Be quiet. Just shut up!" She felt warm, and looked down to see Danny's hands. He had changed back to his original form, the coldness that the Phantom gave gone. She felt reassured by that. He trusted her enough to not use his superpowers. "You're going to go away Shade. You're going to leave me. You're going to leave us. It'll all go back to normal." _

_She looked into those gorgeous dark, green eyes with the gold flecks. _

_Love._

_Hate._

_Joy._

_Anger._

_Sadness._

_Finality. It would all go away._

_All of it…for him. _

"_Goodbye, my love." _

_-----_

_End Chapter_

-----

Author's Notes: Whoo boy. I'm not sure about that beginning, with all the dirty stuff. I'm not too sure on how to do erotic…um…anyways! It's getting at the climax now with the last battle, but it won't end too soon! I plan on having plenty of angst paired with romance, and a little bit of sweetness thrown in between. I'm finally getting over the nasty writer's block. Yay! This story has taken me down a long road, always going up and down. Being in the home stretch now has me feeling a little sad, like it should never end, just go on forever and ever, but I can't do that. It'll have to end eventually. When it's gone, I hope everyone takes a little time at that last chapter and sits back for just a minute, thinking about what I've written. That's a silly little dream, though! I'm just a silly person with silly thoughts. Anyways, I'm wanting to do one thing, and that's hitting 200 hundred reviews! I love 'em like no tomorrow and reply to most every single one, as long as it's signed. So, what do you say? How about we make it happen with the ending coming about? It's been a while and let's have some celebration! I'm talking too much, so I'll go now. We'll get to hear me blab and blubber on the last chapter. Until next time, wonderful readers. Ciao.


	13. We Won

_

* * *

_

Part Two: Shadow Man

* * *

_Chapter Thirteen: We Won

* * *

_

"_I don't love you anymore."_

_She let the thoughts flow through her, of those horrible and special nights she had with Shade. Those memories gave her the strength she needed to do what had to be done. Seeing a man she had loved standing there with shock and betrayal on his features made her heart ache in a bad way. She wanted to avert her gaze so that she wouldn't have to look into those eyes that were so completely naked right now, so raw with hopeless need. She didn't want to hurt anymore. She didn't want to witness his pain. There had been enough, why was there need to look at more? Yet she couldn't stop staring at him. She had to look at him, or else she would be a coward, and at this point, she could not afford to do so._

"_Why, my kitty, why?" he sobbed. Oh no, he was crying. That beautiful, psychotic boy was crying and she was feeling a gut wrenching pain, like her killing him was killing her as well. "Don't do this to me. Don't do this!" _

_He sank to the floor, changing back to his original form, and there was a puddle of ectoplasmic goo at the base of him, groaning in pain. The goo spread out until it stopped at Sam and Danny's feet. They stared down at it, wondering, until something came up through it, and both of them leapt back with a shout as it was the beginnings of a body. Then another body started coming though, and another, and another, until Danny, Sam, and Shade were forced back to the edges of the room. It was filled with people, so many people, and they all looked exactly the same. They all looked like…Danny. _

"_What the hell?" she breathed. "What is this?"_

_A Danny who wore a blue t-shirt with even darker blue eyes, stepped forward. His hair was cut in a no-nonsense style, but there was a kindness about him, along with a maturity. "I think I can explain this to you." The other Danny look-a-likes moved about, some moving towards Danny and Sam, others moving for the side Shade was on, until almost everyone was split down the middle. There were only a few that chose neither side. "We," his arms spread out to indicate the clones, "are all a part of Danny. We are his everything."_

"_Uh, define everything," Danny demanded. The only way he hadn't gotten loss among the mass was because he held onto Sam's waist. "What do you mean me?"_

"_How do I put this eloquently?" Blue shirt Danny sighed. "We are your emotions and thoughts, along with a few things in between. I am Intelligence. I represent your knowledge, although you don't listen to me as often as you should." He gave a rueful smile. "But I've been getting a little more attention lately since you decided to grow up."_

"_I am Happiness." This Danny had a pink t-shirt, with pink eyes that were as dark as they could be. He smiled in a sort of carefree way. "I'm what makes Danny so childish sometimes, but what helps keep him good."_

"_My name is Joy!" This one had a bright yellow t-shirt paired with amber eyes a grin on his face. "I let Danny have fun, and trust me, you give him a lot of fun." There was a way that Joy said that it made Sam blush deeply._

"_Truth," another one said. This one was different, clad in an all white jump suit with the snow-white hair and purely white eyes that made him appear blind. "I cannot tell lies."_

"_Sadness," one whispered, who looked to be nothing more than a shadow of gray. "I'm sorry I do so many bad things. I'm misguided, but I can't admit that to anyone. I'm sorry."_

_There were many more, so many, and yet, Sam knew this wasn't all of them. Intelligence refused to introduce everyone and there were many who wouldn't do so, but a few others that did were: Envy, Lust (he certainly wasn't shy of her!), Hope, Modesty, Cowardice, Valor, and Relaxation. A few more caught her eye. _

_One on the side with Shade was tied up in chains and barbwire, gagged, bleeding, and filthy. He was in such a sorry state. "That one is Anguish," Intelligence pointed out. "He cannot speak, for he is a tortured soul. No one can help him, so no one speaks to him." There was one more, in the middle, who was curled up in a ball, and floating in midair. This one barely looked like Danny, for he had long black hair that flowed around him as if it were in water. His half-lidded eyes were amethyst, exactly like hers, but his skin was ghostly white. His clothes were…void. She was happy that he wasn't standing like the rest. "Oh. I see that Love has caught your eye." Love slowly lifted his head, and looked at her with androgynous features that were achingly beautiful all the same. There was the smallest of glows surrounding him, like a little ball of light. "And it seems Love is caught by you."_

"_Why is he so different?" Danny asked. He waded through all the emotions until he stood before Love, a hand of his reaching out. "Why does he look so…vulnerable?" _

"_That is what your love is right now, Danny," Intelligence answered. "Love has never really been around until now, because you did not have a soul that loved you back the way Sam does. It is new, and that is why Love is not clothed." Love gently brushed his fingers against Danny and Sam saw something flash between those two, a sort of understanding. The sense of loss the young man was having within him seemed to disappear. Tears shined in his eyes and he backed away from Love, wandering back to Sam. He wiped his eyes, sniffling a little. "Love is both powerful and weak. That is why he glows with the unearthly light but stays curled up. Love cannot speak, but communicates through touch. Love can and cannot do many things."_

"_Love is stuck in the middle because it is both good and evil. It always has pure intentions though, no matter how sick and perverse they can be." Shade stepped forward. "Sam, while I know it makes you happy that I'm going to cease to live, I will not go down without a fight." He pointed to Danny. "She may keep me in this world, but the real fight is between you and I, not her." He took a fighting stance. "One last fight, all or nothing."_

"_I wouldn't have it any other way." Danny took up one as well, but did not change._

"_Why don't you become Phantom, huh?"_

_Danny smirked. "I don't need to become a superhero to defeat you, Shade. It's not a blow of fists, but wills. I'm going to defeat you, and I won't even hit you." _

"_Yeah, you wish." On the last word, he flew towards Danny, hand headed straight for that handsome face. Less than an inch away and his fist stopped, even curling back a ways. "What the—" Then a force blew him back among the massive Danny's. "What did you just do?"_

"_I'm sending you back where you belong." Shade's form began to waver, as if he were becoming insubstantial. The same thing was happening to others in the room. Some just faded away, like dust in the wind, a sparkle of energy that would fly back into Danny's body. His eyes would change color with each thought that disappeared: green for Envy, gold for Hope, so many, too many. His eyes became a swirl of ever-changing color as they all disappeared. "You have to go back, Shade. You have to go back like everybody else." Intelligence stroked Sam's face and then was gone. It was down to a few, and then only two: Love and Shade. They did not disappear, but were merely wavering and semi-transparent. "You couldn't stay here in the first place." Sam walked over to them, first Love. Love looked at her, a gorgeous smile on his lips. She cupped his face and slowly kissed his forehead. When she was done, he closed his lilac eyes and disappeared in a shower of brilliant light, flying straight to Danny's heart. His eyes changed and stayed, the eyes of Love. "Come back to me, Shade, or should I say, Sin?" _

_Shade's mouth dropped open in shock. "How did you know my true name?" He was becoming more insubstantial. His panic was clearly evident. He started crying. "No. I don't want to go back. I want to stay." He looked at Sam, pleading, desperate. "Please. Let me stay here, with you."_

_She shook her head. "I can't do that. You know I can't."_

"_Kitty," he wailed. "Sam!"_

_A lost child…_

_He was exactly that._

"_Come home, Sin." _

_He was barely a whisper on the wind now, the faintest trait that was him could only be seen. Sam stood in front of him, tears shining in her eyes. Some came out, rolling down her face. He reached out, his ghost of a hand catching one of those little diamonds, and drinking its saltiness. Her fingers fingered one of his locks. He looked utterly devastated. With that little bit of her heart, Sam stood up so that she could touch his face, and pulled him down for a long, slow kiss. _

_There were no fireworks, no all-consuming heat that rushed through them. _

_It was a kiss, a simple kiss. _

_It was a kiss to say goodbye._

"_I love you," were his last words when they broke away._

_With a sigh, he disappeared. _

_Danny leaned back as Sin went back into him. His eyes went from the lilac to that special dark green with golden flecks, and were then replaced by pure skies and stared at Sam. They stood apart for a moment, until she fell heavily to the floor, weak with relief. He rushed over, lifting her up into his lap, holding her. She looked up at him, still crying, but for joy this time. _

"_We won." She buried her face into his shirt. "We won."

* * *

_

She woke up weeping and she wiped the tears from her face as she looked around; she was back in her room, in her bed, with Danny right next to her. He was waking as well, and she rolled out of bed with a sheet wrapped around her. She heard him muttering under his breath, complaining how it was a little too cold in the room, and she smiled ruefully at the remark. One little movement of the thermostat changed it so it was quite comfortable and dark. He sat up and looked at her, sleep still trying to coax him back at the edges.

"Morning." His voice was hoarse.

"Actually, it's night," she corrected. The curtains were flung open to a view of the city Amity Park. "We were only out for a couple of hours."

"Whatever." He got out of bed as well, wrapping a sheet around him. He came up behind her, resting his hands on her waist. He let his face fall into the space between her shoulder and neck, lightly nibbling at the delicate flesh. She squirmed a little, laughing at the ticklish feeling it provoked. "How about we go back to bed?"

"Not right now." She bit her lip. "I just need a little time to think, or go somewhere. I don't want to be in here right now." She indicated her room. "There's a lot of memories here, some a bit painful. I don't think I'm ready to face them yet." She leaned back into him, resting lightly against his chest, listening to his breathing, his heartbeat. "I want to be with you, don't get me wrong, but let's not rush it." She turned around and looked up at him, staring him in the eye, her face void of any emotion. She didn't want to give anything away, not when things were so fragile right now. She could still see all those thoughts and emotions split up. She could still see Sha—Sin in Danny, and could also see Love, along with a whole slew of them. They were still surfacing every so often, Lust winking at her, Sadness lamenting over something, Intelligence giving an annoyed huff. She knew them all intimately, in a way, since they were part of Danny. "I want to spend time with you." Every single emotion, every single thought… She had known them for the longest time, ever since they were little, some more than others. "I want to do that girlfriend/boyfriend stuff." She blushed. "I want to go on dates and to the movies, and hold hands, and get into petty fights where we make up later with a lot of kissing. I want to cuddle sometimes." There was a sparkle in her eyes. "I want to kick your butt at video games, and steal French fries from you and do a million other little things that just don't make sense." Her fingers strayed to his lips. "I want a relationship, for real. I want to be your girlfriend, Danny Fenton."

"Then do it already," and he boldly kissed her, a passionate one that bruised the lips and left one gasping for air. "Will you be my girlfriend, Sam Manson?"

"My, my," she cooed, "so confident, aren't we?"

He gave a sexy sly grin. "I guess I learned some things from myself." The grin was gone, the remnant of Sin, and replaced with his normal boyishly adorable smile. "I'm still me, though." He cupped her face with his hands, admiring every part there was to her: a small, perky nose, high cheekbones, soft, sensuous lips, and the biggest most beautiful twilight eyes ever imaginable, not to mention rare. "I'll always be me. Nothing changes that. I swear. Nothing will change that." A kiss, a kiss for the soul. That's what he gave her, pouring everything into her, and she into him. "Meant to be. Seems that way, huh? I mean, I feel like I've known you for longer, kind of like…"

"Forever," she finished. "It feels like forever."

Another kiss, so soft, so simple, so sweet. There wasn't the fiery passion. It was there, but underneath the surface, not taking over them, not yet. They were content with the wonderful kisses. They were happy with just being close. When it came to love, there was no need for sex, no need for an all over kiss, nothing that involved the removing of clothing. Love could be conveyed through the merest touches. It could be seen with the smallest look. Love could happen with the barest brushing of lips. It could look obvious by holding hands. It was seen no matter what. That's what love was: fantastic, breathtaking, amazing, simple, passionate, painful, joyous, overwhelming, and millions of other things. It was what let Danny and Sam conquer Sin, let them get through it all alive. It protected and gave strength, as well as bravery.

Love was a miracle.

"It feels like falling." He was crying now. He remembered what it was like to touch his own Love. He remembered the feelings it gave him, so many at one time, yet he understood each and every one. He knew the trials that love went through. He did not know why he cried, but he did. He cried for his Love. "It's falling. I feel like I'm falling."

"All white and fuzzy in my head." She licked his tears away. "I don't want it to stop…ever."

It wouldn't.

Meant to be…

* * *

The phone rang, and Tucker was forced to stop feeling Valerie up in order to answer. Why the hell didn't he have a headset already that was voice activated? He was the head nerd of Casper High, complete with PDA, MP3, PSP, other large, three letter abbreviations, and things like the ever-popular iPod. Why not a voice activated headset? 

"Hello?" he asked irritably. The anger leaked out of him. "What?" A pause. "Wait…say that again." Valerie could have sworn she heard the triumphant shout of Danny, although not sure what he had exactly said. She also thought that Sam might have been shouting happily in the background. "That dude? Yeah?" Tucker sighed in frustration. "Danny. You've gotta slow down. I can hardly understand what you're saying." He growled. "Danny! Shut up and calm down, just for a minute!"

"_Tucker! We won! He's gone! Shade is gone!"_ It was so loud that Valerie could clearly hear it. She could practically feel his laughter. She could almost see that beautiful young boy grinning, swinging Sam around by her waist, so carefree. So happy… It made her smile.

"Dude. That's awesome!" Tucker was excited now. He jumped off the couch. "We got to get together. Let's like…celebrate!" One last pause. "Dude. Amity Park. Food? Awesome! We'll be there!" He hung up, smiling. "Okay, I know you don't know anything about this, but to make a really long story short: Danny and Sam were having troubles with this guy. He was sorta stalking Sam, making their lives miserable, and just now Danny was able to get rid of him. That's why they were so happy."

"Was he that big of a problem?"

Tucker's face was priceless, a sort of mix that was caught between a secretive smile and painful memories. "You have no idea."

* * *

An hour later, they all met up. Danny looked like he had been through something ruff, although Tucker and Valerie couldn't guess why (although Valerie might have by the way Sam was blushing). Sam herself, while looking a little haggard as well, couldn't be any more beautiful at the same time. There was a glow about her that wasn't easily explained. Actually, Danny and Sam were both glowing, as if some inner spirit within them had flared to life and wished to be recognized. It came off as dazzling and did not go unnoticed by any passerby. However, none really cared for that and the four friends settled down with a midnight picnic, giggling, grinning, and happy to just live. They were happy to be around at that very moment, happy to be in the park, happy to see the stars and the moon…happy at everything there possibly was. 

A while passed, the way that time goes when one is having fun with friends.

Danny and Sam openly held hands.

Tucker lovingly kissed Valerie on the cheek.

Sam threw Tucker's roast meatball sub at him, angered that he'd eat a variety of animals.

Tucker replied by throwing her veggie sandwich.

The food was forgotten to be used as sustenance and instead used as artillery for an all out food fight.

Danny licked coleslaw off of Sam's nose.

Valerie grabbed Tucker's hat and ran away with it, laughing.

In all this commotion, Sam pulled out her camera, and she took pictures. There were so many for her, so many new memories that she'd print out and put in a different shoebox, storing away in the closet and taken down later to be used for comfort. Every single picture showed nothing but the exuberance of youth and the love of being with those who were so close. Everyone seemed to be smiling in them all. A few of them were blurry because a hand had grabbed at the lens in an attempt to stop embarrassment, or blackmail at that. There were a million of them running around. One was Danny holding poor Tucker in a headlock once again. There was another where Tucker and Valerie had leaned in for a sweet kiss. One was of just Danny with his head tilted, a wonderfully male arrogant look on his face. Danny, Tucker, and Valerie had piled together for a group photo. Sam had taken a self-portrait with Danny tackling Tucker in the background. There was another surprising one that contained Sam and Valerie hugging each other, mouths open wide with a hoot. Many more accompanied them: Danny and Sam sharing a beautiful, soft, kiss, Valerie bench pressing Tucker, Tucker throwing pudding at Danny, Danny retaliating with soda, Valerie getting a "noogie" by Danny, Sam kicking out into space judo style, Tucker and Sam performing goofy faces, the entire group in a portrait with Danny staring at Sam with such love, and many, many more. They were so splendid, so wonderful that when Sam had sat down to look through them, she felt herself tearing up.

It all ended too soon. Those few hours were so very precious to Sam. She printed out full sized pictures. Her heart felt content looking at every single picture before storing them away in both the physical and proverbial shoebox.

However, it was okay.

After all, she was just saving them for a rainy day, when things might seem so dark.

There was a slight rumbling of thunder, and the rain immediately followed after.

So speaking of which…she would once again go through those memories, and enjoy herself.

A warmth spread throughout her and she couldn't be happier.

Happiness was finally here, and most likely to stay.

* * *

_End Chapter

* * *

_

Author's Notes: Okay, so it got short again, and I hope everything wasn't too…anticlimactic. So, I don't know if this was a good ending in itself, if you guys feel like a few loose ends need to be tied up, I'll go with one more chapter, and then there'll be another one just telling my thanks, little side notes, blah, blah. You get the idea, I think. Anyways, I don't know how much longer I can go on. I got tears streaming down my face at the moment cause it's basically the end of something I loved to do so much and I feel terrible for it all ending, but still! The good times I had writing this and receiving all those lovely reviews and comments from you guys! So, I have to stop now because I'll wait for the mushiness at the very, ultimate end. I hope to see you all then and again: you all mean the world to me. Thank you so much for your support. Until next time. Ciao.


End file.
